5: Harris' Heroes
by nurzubesuch
Summary: Being a fake psychic never brought anything else for Shawn but advantages. It brought him income, fun and a real good life. But now all this is going to backfire drastically, as strange as it is, because someone believes him to be a real psychic. Because this someone is not willing to wait for evolution to take billions of years …
1. Unhealthy Interest

**Well, here we go again. We´re back for another round. I´ll be totally honest with you, when I started writing "Identity" I had no idea what I got myself into. And now look at me. I´m still on it and I just don´t seem to get away from that addiction. *sigh* Anyway. I can as well do something productive with this addiction, can I? **

**For everybody who is new here and doesn´t know where to start, I´ll repeat it again. This story is the fifth story in this row, so it´s a good idea to start with the first one. Then make your way through the following ones until you get back here. Okay? Okay then.**

**Oh, and before I forget it: I don´t own anything.**

**And now enjoy.**

* * *

**Unhealthy interest**

The Santa Barbara town hospital was a building compartmentalized in three different departments. The first was the usual rescue center where the victims of car crashes and other sorts of medical emergencies were taken care of. Usually this was the most busy station of the place. The second one was the station for pregnant women and their children. And the third one was the mental hospital, internally known as station five even though there were only three in the whole. Why it was called that way no one knew for sure anymore.

It was the station where the hard cases were, the ones that held few to no hope for any form of improvement. One of these few cases in which it was more than just certain that there wouldn´t be any form of improvement, was one Frederic Roth. The former billionaire who´d fallen into a catatonic state one day without any physical cause. The word went that it was the stress over the mysterious death of his sister that had driven him to the breaking point but of course there was no confirmation.

The man had been unresponsive since the day he´d been brought in and this condition hadn´t changed a bit ever since. The medical staff was taking care of him as best as they could, what included cleaning and feeding him. And that was pretty much it. There was not much more they could do. He was practically treated like a coma patient. A few physical treatments to keep his muscles from regressing and shrinking him into a fetal position was the best this man could ever get and even that was just because he was rich.

Sometimes it made Rebecca Henson, the head nurse of station five sad when she passed his room. The man had had all this power and more money than she would ever be able to save her whole life, but no one had ever come to visit him in this pitiful state he was in. He had no family – his sister had been the last one and the rumor said he´d hired someone to kill her to be the only one in the testate succession – and he had sure as hell no friends, otherwise someone would have shown up to pay him a visit once in a while. That at least was it what she´d thought. Until now.

When she´d come to work this morning Barbara, the night nurse, had told her that a man had called and announced a visit for today. Around ten a.m. he´d said. His name was supposte to be Daniels and he´d claimed to be a friend of the family. Rebecca could have asked one of her nurses to greet this man and lead him to the patient, but for that she was far too curious. She just needed to know who it was, that suddenly wanted to see this man, that had been forgotten by the world for over seven months. This mysterious stranger was something she needed to see with her own eyes in order to believe it hadn´t been just a prank call.

And so she stood in the entrance hall at ten a.m. this morning and waited for the arrival of this Mr. Daniels, so he existed. Ten a.m. came and passed. No one came through the automatic glass doors and demanded to be brought to Mr. Roth´s room. Rebecca sighed. What did she expect? But for a short time she´d really hoped for this man to show up. For this poor and pitiful Mr. Roth to have at least one friend in this world. But as it seemed he hadn´t. Things would go on just like always and for her and her nurses nothing would change. And for Mr. Roth neither.

She turned around and leaned her arms on the counter of the reception.

„I´m going back up." she told Anna, the receptionist on duty and the young woman nodded.

Just when Rebecca was about to leave she heard the doors behind her open and someone came in.

Just a deliverer, she thought. Don´t be ridiculous. The call had been a prank. But when she turned her head, determined not to care who´d come in, she didn´t see a deliverer with a package under his arm. Instead there was a gentleman standing in the hall. He was wearing a dark coat. His dark and obviously long grown hair was neatly combed back under the hat he wore. His face was tanned and spoke of the respect its owner was used to get from others. Rebecca guessed that he was somewhat in his early forties. When his blue eyes found her, he immediately approached her.

„Good morning." he greeted her. „My name is Daniels. I called here this morning. Are you Miss Rebecca Henson?"

„Yes." Rebecca answered, still baffled over the fact that this man had truly turned out to be real. „I thought you wouldn´t come anymore." she told him.

„I´m very sorry, I got stuck in traffic." the man apologized. „I hope I can still see Mr. Roth though."

Rebecca nodded. „Of course. I´ll show you his room. Please, follow me."

She led him to the elevator and the two of them got in. Rebecca pushed the button for the third floor and the car started to move. Her strange company stood beside her in a mystifying silence that unsettled her. She glanced over to him and met his gaze, which was so piercing that she felt like being caught in the act, no matter how warm he smiled. She nervously smiled back at him.

„You are his first visitor to this day." she told him to fill the awkward silence. „The only people who ever came here to see him, were his lawyer and the police."

„I would have come here earlier." Mr. Daniels replied. „But there were things I had to take care of until now."

Rebecca nodded as if she understood completely, even though she had no clue what he was talking about and to be totally honest she didn´t even want to know. This man Roth had been kinda creepy to her all along, even though she only knew him from the stories the other nurses told each other. But there had always been something about him that made Rebecca´s arms break out in goosebumps. And now that she met this man, who seemed to be the only friend that was still interested in Roth, this feeling increased even more. When the elevator finally stopped and gave her free again, she exhaled relieved.

She didn´t let her guest see that though. Her steps were fast and strong when they walked down the corridor that led to the room where Roth carved out his pitiful existence.

„I´m afraid you won´t get any reaction from him though." she told Mr. Daniels without slowing down. „He´s been in that state since he got here."

„That´s all right, nurse." Mr. Daniels replied when they stopped before the door to Roth´s room. „We never talked very much anyway."

As if to underline this statement, a cell phone started to ring and Mr. Daniels hurried to answer it.

„I´m really sorry." he told her. „It´ll be quick."

Rebecca did her best to put on a reproving face but the truth was that all she wanted was this man to get over with his visit and then leave. Something seemed to be off about him and she didn´t like that. He took the call without letting her out of his sight.

„Yeah." he spoke into his cell. „Number three. Second left. I wait." With that he hung up and smiled at her. „I´m really sorry." he repeated one more time and gestured for the door. „Can we go in now?"

Rebecca only nodded and opened the door. Just get over with it and then leave, she thought.

Only a few minutes after she´d closed the door behind her and Mr. Daniels, the elevator went open again and two men came out of it. They wore the typical clothing of orderlies but their names, their real names, were not listed on any staff list of this hospital. Still they knew exactly where to go to find their patient.

Within only ten seconds they´d crossed the hallway and entered the room, the one Mr. Daniels and Rebecca Henson had entered just before. Five people were in that room now but the camera under the ceiling would record only four of them leaving, when the door would get opened next time. One of them carried on a stretcher … and it was not Rebecca Henson.

...

It was ten to twelve a.m. and Juliet O´Hara´s lunch break was straight ahead. She´d already taken her briefcase to go out and get herself a snack. Only one quick stop at her partner´s desk and she would go out into the beautiful sunshine, enjoying the brief time she had to have a walk only for the sake of walking. The rest of the day she would have to work case files and this opportunity to leave the station for half an hour was just something she didn´t want to miss.

The weather had been too good this last week. Too good to miss even the briefest minute if you had the chance to go out. That they had to work these old files now from all the times in the year was like torture. The only one who didn´t seem to have a problem with that, was of course Carlton, the infinite workaholic.

„I´m going to lunch." she told him matter of factly. „You want to come along to grab a few beams of daylight? Or do you prefer …?"

She skimmed the mess on his desk. Most of what was lying around there were reports of the files they worked. But not what was lying there on the right edge of his desk, the edge where he used to store his really important stuff, the stuff that had to stay in reachable distance all the time in case something should come up. These reports and photographs didn´t belong to one of these lower cases they worked right now. This was something that should be closed by now.

Juliet sighed. Who had she been kidding? She should have known and she probably had known on some part of her consciousness. But like every human being her hope had been a little stronger than her better judgement and she´d truly believed – or better yet convinced herself about it – that he´d put it behind. But obviously he hadn´t.

„Are you still investigating that?" she asked him, tapping her finger at the photograph of a burned out car that lay by the highway.

Carlton looked up at her, irritated for a moment, until he realized what she was talking about.

„Of course I do." was all he said. „Just because we didn´t find anything yet, doesn´t mean there is nothing."

„It was an accident." she repeated the facts, everybody but him had accepted.

„Sure." he snorted. „The one van that is ought to transport the body of Nobody to the Company on that day, just happens to have an accident and burns out completely to leave nothing but a few DNA samples for us?" he summarized what Juliet had heard so often already. „Just enough for us to see that three bodies burned in there? Come on, O´Hara, you were there too."

„I know and I thought the same back then." she admitted. „But we investigated it and there was nothing. Not even Shawn could find anything. It was an accident."

„I´ll never believe that." Carlton replied stubbornly. „And neither does Noah."

„When will you ever let this go?" Juliet sighed. „It has been five months."

„I let this go when I know who did this." was his uncompromising answer.

Juliet couldn´t help the groan that escaped her mouth. How had he managed it to turn her lighthearted mood down so fast? She´d been looking forward to have a walk in the sun. And now she felt like ten days of rain coming up.

„Detective Lassiter? Detective O´Hara." the voice of Buzz McNab called them. „Chief Vick wants to see you in her office."

Juliet scoffed a little. Dammit. She´d still wanted to have her walk. No matter what Carlton had done to her mood, the sunlight would have fixed it. But when the chief sent Buzz for them, it had to be something important.

Carlton seemed to think the same, according to his facial expression. But he seemed also much more eager to use his lunch break to have a discussion in the chief´s office than she was. Sometimes Juliet believed he didn´t even know how refreshing it could feel to walk in the sun. She threw a casual glance on her wristwatch and silently envied Shawn and Gus who were probably in the city by now, enjoying the day. Damn, that wasn´t fair.

In her office the chief awaited them solemnly sitting at her desk. A glass of water stood beside her, something bubbly dissolving in it. When Carlton closed the door behind him, she flinched a little, closing her eyes for a moment. A quick glance at the Aspirin package on the desk and Juliet understood.

„Still the head?" she asked sympathizing.

„Sometimes I feel like having a hangover." Karen answered and managed a smile. „Don´t worry." she said. „I can handle it."

Juliet made herself smile but it turned out to be not even half what she intended. She really had to admire the chief for her stamina. She´d left the hospital after only five weeks and they all knew it had been far too early for her doctors to feel comfortable with it. But she had insisted on getting back, getting out of that oversized coffin as she´d put it. Her sick leave had lasted two months, after that she had refused to stay away from work any longer. So she´d come back and taken over her seat again, sending Carlton back to his normal work as head detective, an order he´d seemed absolutely okay with.

So far she truly was doing good. Except for the headaches that would bother her once in a while. But as it seemed she could handle it pretty good. This woman was tough. Juliet didn´t know if she would have been able to handle it that good after almost being shot to death. She hadn´t been able to handle it too good after being kidnapped and she hadn´t even been hurt – physically. Karen had and she was doing more than just good. In Juliet´s opinion the only way to describe this woman, was by comparing her to steel and fire. Strong and passionate for what she did.

Now, after she´d massaged her temple for a moment, the chief reached for a file and handed it to Lassiter.

„I have a new case for you." she told them. „A patient has been kidnapped from the mental hospital. This one should interest you."

Lassiter opened the file and read for a moment. After only three seconds as it seemed, he halted and looked up at the chief again.

„Roth?" he asked.

„What?" Juliet exclaimed and skipped closer to her partner, looking over his shoulder to see the file.

„We´re on it, chief." Carlton immediately declared and closed the file in a determined manner, just as Juliet had found the name herself.

He was out of the door and back in the bullpen before she had a chance to ask him what he was thinking. She threw one last glance at the chief, who looked at her with one of her typical, you-know-the-drill-gazes, and followed him out.

„You still think that there´s nothing going on?" Carlton cried, holding up the file to underline his words. „A second coincidence? I bet with you that the person who kidnapped Roth is the same person who ambushed the van that brought Nobody to the Company."

„You can´t know that." Juliet tried to get through to the very well hidden part of him that was open to reasonable thinking. „The two things could be totally unrelated."

„Well, we´ll see." was all he said. „Get on the phone. Call Spencer. I want him at the hospital ASAP. I call Noah. He needs to know that too."

With that he was gone, heading for his desk and the phone on it. For a moment Juliet just stood there, wondering if she should walk over to him, push down the cradle of his phone and tell him not to shoo her into doing work for him. But then she decided against it. He was in one of his states again and there was no getting through to him right now. Besides. She wanted to know what the thing with Roth was about too. She only needed to make sure that he wouldn´t notice.

...

„You wanna make a party? What?"

Gus was confused by what his friend was trying to tell him about his new idea. They´d come to the city to run an errand and Shawn had started to talk about some new idea he´d gotten over night while watching Letterman. Gus was sure the show itself had nothing to do with the idea that had popped up in Shawn´s head. The fact that he´d mentioned it was as random as the idea itself. What reason could he have to make a party anyway?

„Not a party, Gus." Shawn now corrected him. „A party."

„What?"

„I´m thinking about going into politics." Shawn explained. „We´ll form our own party. I´m the head and you are my right hand. Lassie can be secretary of defence and Jules will be secretary of sweetness."

„Something like that doesn´t even exist." Gus mentioned, even though he knew it was a lost course to say that and sure enough, Shawn ignored the comment.

„Dad can be the Minister of home-improvement …" he kept talking.

„Doesn´t exist either."

„And Buzz …"

„Shawn, what the hell are you talking about?" Gus interrupted him. „They´ll never allow you to go into politics like that."

„Why shouldn´t they? I already am an ambassador."

„No, you´re not."

„Why should they deny me a seat in the senate?"

„Because you have no concept of politics, Shawn."

„I don´t?"

„No, you don´t. You thought a runoff was another word for a prison break."

„And I still think it is. Besides. Who says I have no concept? I already worked out a whole program including eighty-four items and subitems."

Gus looked at his friend uncertain. „Are you serious?"

„I´ll quickly explain the most important twenty-seven to you. First of all …"

„You won´t explain that to me." Gus cried to stop him before it was too late for that. „Not now and not ever."

„You have to think this through." Shawn insisted. „First of all, when we are politicians, we´ll always get tickets for the World Series and the Super Bowl. And we can fly all over the world for low. Imagine the vacations we could make, while traveling around in our function as ambassadors."

This time Gus finally started to consider the advantages Shawn´s nonsense was painting here. He looked up and allowed himself to dream of a nice vacation in Jamaica for a moment. Of course he knew that this was nuts, but there was nothing wrong with a quick dream.

„See?" Shawn spoke up when he saw his friend´s dreamy smile. „Now you see."

„No, Shawn." Gus rolled his eyes. „This idea is ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as your idea of opening this underwater fastfood restaurant, that you wanted to call McDive."

„The skin-divers would have been thrilled by the idea." Shawn insisted. „If the city would have given me a license, it would have been a great success. It would have kicked this other thing out of business. How´s it called again?"

„McDonalds?"

„Right."

„You´re nuts." Gus threw a glance ahead to the store they´d been heading for all along and decided to end this senseless discussion. „Come on now." he urged instead. „Before they sell all the boxes and we´re too late again."

„Don´t worry, we´ll get our share." Shawn assured him.

„I sure hope so." Gus replied. „It´s a one in a million offer and I don´t wanna miss it."

„Neither do I." Shawn agreed but then he spotted something and cried out: „Oh. Look who´s there."

Gus glanced over the street and spotted them too. It was Noah Bennet who walked there with his girlfriend and he actually looked chilled for a change, something the two friends were not used to see on this man. The two of them were strolling down the street, their gazes wandering casually over the shop windows as if they were truly just enjoying a nice day of window shopping.

For Gus it would have been totally okay to just acknowledge the fact that they´d seen them and to keep it at that. Maybe waving briefly hallo and then just walk on to their own business that waited in the shop ahead. But of course, he was alone with this opinion. Shawn immediately crossed the street and headed for the two people.

„Hey hey." he called out for them, a big smile on his face and made the couple look up in surprise. „The Company man." he greeted Noah. „Hi, Lauren."

The blonde woman returned the smile he gave her. Gus only nodded politely, a little embarrassed about his friend´s scene.

„What are you guys doing here?" Shawn faced the man with the glasses again. „Tagging and bagging someone in the mall?"

Bennet only smiled. „If you believe it or not." he said. „I have a private life too."

„And what is it you´re doing with your free time?" Shawn kept asking, again way too curious in Gus´ opinion. Even if the two were spying on someone, what seemed highly possible for all he knew, there was no reason why he should want to know that, let alone getting involved in it. But as it turned out Lauren´s answer was a totally innocent one.

„Shoe shopping." she answered the question. „Our last tag and bag chase led through a nasty swamp, that ruined my old shoes. So I needed to get some new."

For a moment, Shawn´s smile was gone and he frowned.

„Seriously?"

Lauren smirked and ultimately she couldn´t help and cracked. „No." she laughed. „God, I´m still a woman even though I work for the government. I´m allowed to buy some new shoes once in a while."

„What are _you_ guys doing?" Bennet wanted to know, ignoring Shawn´s irritated frown. Or maybe he was amused about it. It was hard to tell with this man.

„The DVD store announced a special offer this week." Shawn told him almost proudly as if it had been his idea. „A complete box of Hogan´s Heroes."

„Including three hours of bonus material." Gus added.

„Honestly?" Lauren cried. „I loved that show when I was kid."

„Yeah, I remember it too." Bennet agreed, a little less thrilled though. He looked at Shawn and Gus with a slight frown. „Aren´t you guys a little young for something as old as this?" he asked.

Shawn just laughed at this as if to say: Are you kidding? „The real classics never get old." he stated matter of factly.

„You know that´s right." Gus agreed and held out his fist for Shawn to bump it.

In Shawn´s pocket his cell phone started to ring and he got it out. „That´s Jules." he found after checking the display. „Please excuse me for a second." he said in a honeyed tone and answered the call. „Jules. Sweetheart."

Just as he´d answered his call, Bennet´s phone started to ring as well. The company man answered it with far less announcement than Shawn had done it.

„A case." Shawn just exclaimed, totally unaware of the second phone call that happened right next to him. „Sweet." he commented. „Who´s missing?"

„Carlton?" Bennet addressed his own caller. „What is it?"

Gus watched the older man, who was looking very serious now. Why was Lassiter calling him, Gus wondered. That seemed to be too much of a coincidence just in the moment when Juliet was calling Shawn.

„Roth?" Shawn asked next to him. „Who´s this?"

„Are you sure it´s Roth?" Bennet asked almost the same time. Gus and Lauren exchanged a glance.

„Oh, that Roth." Shawn exclaimed. „Okay." And simultaneously with Bennet he added; „We´re on our way."

Both of them ended their calls and put their phones down.

„Seems we have a case at the mental hospital." Bennet spoke up first.

Shawn frowned. „How do _you_ know?" he wondered.

Bennet only smiled at him. „We meet you there in half an hour." he said and with that he and Lauren walked away to their car.

„How …? Did you listen into my call?" Shawn cried after him.

„Shawn." Gus said embarrassed.

„Seriously." Shawn insisted. „How could he know that?"

Gus could only shake his head. Sometimes he really wondered about his friend.

...

While the two friends walked back to Gus´ blue car, a motorcycle stood patiently at the corner. The driver that sat on it, was less interested in the roadmap on his lap than he pretended to be. Behind his reflecting black shield his eyes were constantly trained on the fake psychic since he and his partner had gotten out of the car and they were even more trained now that the two of them went back there, obviously heading for a place where they shouldn´t stick their noses in.

Well, well. Soon it would show if the biker´s interest had been rightful … and if it would be necessary to take more immediate measures.

* * *

**If some of you guys are still with me, let me know okay? I always want to know for whom I´m writing here.**

**Until then, thanks for reading.**


	2. Looking for a Stickpin in a Haystack

**Looking for a Stickpin in a Haystack**

It was red and yellow, two red blocks framing the yellow stripe in the middle. A small metallic bar on a pin, somebody had lost in the hospital hallway. Shawn turned the little thing in his hand and then showed it to Gus but Gus didn´t look at him. He was watching Lassiter and Jules who were still talking to the head nurse at the other end of the hallway.

They were questioning the people who´d been on duty yesterday, when Roth had been kidnapped, for over half an hour now. So far no one had been able to give any helpful information. Shawn had lost interest in the questions after three nurses who´d all told them the same. That they hadn´t seen the face of the man, nurse Henson had led up to the room, because he´d worn a hat and because they´d been too busy to pay attention. Otherwise everything had happened too quickly for them to remember any details.

Miss Henson had been able to describe the man she´d guided to Mr. Roth but it was pretty clear that the man had been in disguise. They´d found a dark haired wig in the parking lot from where the van had started that had transported the kidnapped patient away and after telling this to Miss Henson she remembered that the man´s hairline had seemed a little odd to her. So they had a description and yet they had no description. Not a complete one. Unfortunately Miss Henson´s memory wasn´t very detailed either and the composite sketch had turned out to be very rough, hardly showing more than a man with two eyes a nose and a mouth.

She´d apologized for being such a bad help and had suggested to have a look at the security tapes in order to get a picture of the man. But that was something Lassie and Jules could take care off. Right now Shawn was more interested in what he´d found before the room Roth had occupied before he´d been kidnapped. When Gus was still not looking at him, Shawn hit his upper arm and caused him to swirl around, an annoyed look on his face.

„Shawn." he cried. „What …?"

Shawn held up the pin he´d found and Gus frowned.

„Seems one of our kidnappers was a Spanish guy." he commented the little thing.

Gus´ frown deepened in his confusion. „What?"

„Isn´t that the flag of Spain?"

„No, it´s not." Gus denied. „That´s not even a flag."

„No?" Shawn looked at the pin unsure. He´d been sure it was one. „Then what the heck is it?" he wondered.

„We´ll find that out." Gus replied hardly interested and snatched it away from Shawn, hurriedly putting it in his pocket so Lassiter and Juliet wouldn´t see it. He was obviously more interested in what was going on in the surveillance room at the end of the hall, because that was the place he shoved Shawn over to. Shawn was far too baffled to even protest.

„They obviously came in disguised." they heard Bennet say and when they came in they found them standing before a bunch of monitors, watching the tapes of the day before. „A smash and grab job without smashing anything."

„Professionals." Lassiter agreed with a nod, his arms crossed before his chest. He threw a brief glance at Shawn and Gus and then turned his attention back to the monitors.

They all watched in silence for a while. The tapes showed how nurse Henson and her strange guest left the elevator and walked down the hall to Roth´s room. All the time, the guy kept his head bowed so the camera didn´t catch a good sight of his face, only the brim of his hat. As if he knew exactly where the camera was. They stopped for a moment, long enough for the stranger to take a call and then entered the room.

After that the hall was empty for a while. And then the other two culprits came out of the elevator. Their faces were easy to see, because they didn´t wore hats and didn´t even try to keep their faces down in any way. They were dressed like orderlies but they sure as hell were no orderlies. Their movements indicated that they were on their way to do something that was not quiet a part of the hospital routine.

„Look how they approach that door." Lassiter noticed. „Typical move-in tactics. I bet FBI. Or ATF. Or something in that league."

But Lauren was already shaking her head. „Those are no government agents." she said matter of factly.

Lassiter squinted down on the back of her head. „How do you want to know?" he asked her.

„You see those signals they give each other when they get out?" Lauren pointed at the screen, after she´d wound back the tape to replay the part. The two men were indeed exchanging handsignals with each other. A silent communication, easy to overlook but obvious now that Lauren had pointed it out.

„Those two are a trained team." she summarized what they all saw there.

Shawn chuckled at this and made everybody look at him. „I´m sorry but I really don´t think that these guys are baseball players." he said.

„No." Lauren agreed. „But soldiers."

„You´re right." Juliet confirmed and pointed at the screen where one of the men just moved his hand in a very funny way, to make his buddy stop for a second. „I recognize this gesture." she told them. „My brother taught me some of that stuff. This gesture means upcoming retrieve. And now he cancels it."

Shawn watched the tape and saw that she was right. They´d probably heard something and considered to hide and then the sound had turned out to be nothing so they´d went on.

„Those guys really are soldiers." Juliet exclaimed with a slight shake of her head. She just couldn´t believe it.

„Why should the military kidnap a catatonic patient from the mental hospital?" Gus spoke out what they all were thinking.

„They wouldn´t." Bennet replied. „But mercenaries would. If someone hires them for that job."

„Okay." Gus went along with this. „Then who would have an interest in getting his hands on Roth?" he specified his question.

In this moment Shawn remembered something and immediately raised his hand.

„I´m getting something." he cried. „Possible suspect. Harry? No. Harrison Ford. No. But Harris. Yeah, that´s it. D.P. Harris. He´s the administrator of Roth´s estate, since his sleep therapy started. And he has a military background."

Lassiter looked at him with a grim determination in his eyes. „Then maybe we should pay Mr. Harris a visit." he suggested.

„You do that." Bennet nodded. „We stay here and take care of the tapes. We´ll bring them over to the station as soon as we´re done. Your officer McNab can escort us."

„Great." Lassiter cheered, not the least concerned about breaking regulations with that arrangement. He probably figured that as long as Buzz was in sight of the tapes, things were regulated enough to pass, even though Noah and Lauren were no police officers. Shawn noted this with some mental approval. Maybe there was still hope for Lassie after all, when he was able to learn to bend the rules once in a while.

„O´Hara." the detective now called even though she was standing right next to him and with a silent gesture to Shawn and Gus, he added a determined: „Let´s roll."

...

If one ignored the relative smallness of the place it was a perfectly normal laboratory. White walls, bright lights and sterile shelves with even more sterile instruments everywhere. Absolutely suiting for the purpose it was meant for. The same purpose this whole base was meant for and it was not to harbor a death squad anymore, the way Roth had wanted it. This base wasn´t Roth´s anymore. It was his and even though Hawk had still some odd feelings when thinking about this base as his own but it was the simple and undeniable truth. It was his.

He entered the lab. Ashton´s slim figure was bowed over the man that lay on the table, still totally consumed in the examinations he was running. If Hawk hadn´t known the man for so long, he would have thought he hadn´t even noticed his entrance. But he did know Benjamin Ashton. Of course the younger man had heard him.

So the Commander spoke up without any put on ceremonial greeting.

„You´ve got something yet?" he asked.

„Nope." was the blunt but undisguised frustrated answer. „His brain is hyperactive but the body doesn´t seem to react to it at all. I want to run a CT scan on him. I´d like to know which areas of his brain are working that hyper."

Hawk threw an uncertain glance at Roth, who was hooked to dozens of wires like in a Matrix movie. He was breathing slowly, almost that slow that Hawk wondered if he was even still alive. But Ashton´s monitors showed the steady heartbeat, so he had to be alive. Even if he was as pale as a dead body. But of course Hawk knew that with this man things were never as they seemed.

„He doesn´t feel anything?" he asked uncertain.

„I didn´t say that." Ashton replied and took one of the many tools that lay on his cart next to him.

„You said …"

„I said his body doesn´t show any reactions." the younger man talked over him. „But when I stitch him with something, his brainwaves react to that."

He demonstrated it by stitching the little tool into Roth´s arm. Hawk squinted slightly and then followed Ashton´s finger that pointed at the graphic of Roth´s brainwaves. There was a change, even if it was only a brief one.

„So, yes." Ashton finished his demonstration. „He feels pain. Interesting question would be if his dream images change when he´s hurt in the outside world."

„If he even dreams at all."

„Well, after what we know about his sister …"

„His sister is dead." Hawk recalled.

„You saw the video tape from that night in Durham Street." Ashton recalled right back. „He said her name. And we can´t deny what happened to him."

„Just because he said the name of his dead sister, doesn´t mean that he didn´t hallucinate her. Marilyn is dead. I might believe in superhuman powers but I don´t believe in ghosts."

„And if it was a power to be a ghost?" Ashton added for consideration.

„Marilyn was a dreamwalker." Hawk stated matter of factly.

But then he looked at Roth again and hesitated. Nothing was as it seemed with this man, after all. But no. Ghosts didn´t exist. Hawk shook his head to close this ridiculous idea. His hand wandered to his own coller for a moment, his fingers rubbing over the empty spot absent mindedly. Ashton noticed it but his frown told Hawk that he had no idea what to make of the gesture.

„Make that CT scan." he agreed with Ashton´s earlier suggestion. „Find out if he dreams. Then maybe I reconsider my opinion. If he doesn´t … do whatever it is you need to do and then cut him open to have a look at his brain and … what else might be interesting."

Ashton looked at him with a smirk on his face. „You really hate that guy, don´t you?" he asked.

Hawk did his best to answer the sassy gaze of his inferior with a blank one of his own. „What do you know about that?" he replied as dryly as possible.

„Well, you never went out to tag and bag one of the others before." Ashton replied, rubbing his nose casually. „This one was important enough for you to go there yourself. And that for a job that was hardly half as complicated as any of the others."

„He manipulated me for two years to do his dirty work." Hawk hissed. „What do you think?"

Ashton only smirked satisfied over the reaction of his superior. „You have his organs on your desk tomorrow morning." he promised.

„Take your time." Hawk replied, still grumpy over the course this talk had taken. „I don´t want to miss anything that could be important."

„Or any of his pain?" Ashton poked again.

„I don´t give a shit if he lives or dies." Hawk stated. „Why should I be interested if he´s in pain or not?"

Ashton only shrugged. God, sometimes Hawk hated that guy.

„Back to work, soldier." he ordered him and turned around to leave.

„What about the doctor?" Ashton called after him and made Hawk stop in the door. „I can do only the technical things." the sassy man recalled matter of factly. „Dismantling bodies is the least I can manage on the medical part. Not to talk about the things that go even deeper into the material we´re examining."

„I got your point." Hawk stated.

„You can´t hold off for any longer." Ashton insisted. „You should ask the girl to tell you where he is and then get the guy here."

Hawk swirled around throwing his best stare at the man in the lab coat but failed to intimidate him. Ashton looked back at him and wasn´t a bit impressed. Something like that could frustrate Hawk and Aston knew that.

„I´m working on it." Hawk told him.

„Working on it is what I do too." Ashton replied. „But if you really want to make any real progress you have to do the next step. If she refuses to do more than just a few tests, then make her do it. You´re the Commander. Start commanding and leave the play nice guy to the people who really know that game."

Hawk went back into the room and walked up to Ashton again until he stood only centimeters away from him. For a minute the two men only stared at each other but once again, Hawk´s usually successful tactic showed no effect on this man. He didn´t duck away and he didn´t lower his gaze. He might call him sir once in a while but he sure as hell had no respect before his rank or his authority. Hawk knew that and he knew that Ashton knew how frustrating that could be for him. Still he would never allow this little turd to see this in his face.

„As I already said." he spoke in a low tone. „Back to work, soldier."

Instead of following the order Ashton replied as bluntly as ever: „If you don´t get the guy here … you can as well stop the program, Hawk. And you know that."

There it was again. Hawk. Not sir. His comrades were allowed to call him this nickname and sometimes one or two of the men under his command. But for all the others he was the Commander and this included Ashton here. The only one that didn´t seem to agree was Ashton.

The two of them were still busy with their useless staredown when someone walked in.

„Sir." he addressed Hawk uncertain. „There are some visitors for you upstairs. It´s the police, sir."

Hawk held Ashton´s gaze for one more second, warning him with it not to cross the line if he liked to keep all his limps. At last he turned around and left him behind without even looking back at him.

„Well, that was fast." he commented the report of the other man. „All right, then. Let´s go and greet them. Amy won´t want to deal with them all alone."

...

The butler that opened the door of the Roth mansion didn´t quiet fit Shawn´s idea of a typical butler. He was old and had a deep scar running over his cheek. He also preferred one leg, what made his walk look kinda wobbly. He led them all into the living room and then asked them to wait and walked away to fetch Mrs. Harris. But Mrs. Harris had already beat him to it.

The woman that came from the kitchen was slim, of about forty years, with long dark hair and a strong posture. When she saw the four guests in her amazingly big living room, she frowned startled.

„Missus Amanda Harris?" Lassiter addressed her and she nodded affirmative. „I´m detective Lassiter. S.B.P.D." he introduced himself. „This is my partner detective O´Hara …"

„And my name is Shawn Spencer." Shawn stepped forward. „Psychic. And this is my partner …"

„Mrs. Harris I´ll get straight to the point." Lassiter talked right over him. „Is your husband available? We need to question him about a kidnapping."

Shawn threw the detective a pouting glance. He´d had such a great new name for Gus but now he wouldn´t tell it anymore. If Lassie thought he could do without it, it was his own fault.

Mrs. Harris blinked in composed surprise. „Who was kidnapped?" she wanted to know.

Lassiter gave her a snarly smile. „His Boss." he told her.

„Mr. Roth?"

Before Lassiter could confirm this guess, a little boy came running and bumped right into Mrs. Harris´ legs.

„-awmaaaaa!" he yelled so loud that all the detectives winced under the sudden noise. „-awma pwayin." he demanded. „Pwayiiiin."

The boy was big enough to be at least six but the way he moved and talked it was obvious that he was in some way disabled and probably retarded, be it a side-effect of the disability of his body or because of an additional mental illness. Mrs. Harris bowed down and picked the bobbing boy up.

„Not now, sweetheart." she said calmly and balanced him on her hip.

The kid looked at the visitors with great interest now that he´d noticed them.

„Hey, little man." Gus greeted with a wide smile, bowing forward a little. The kid skipped back a little to make up for that, his face a mask of uncertainty. „What´s his name?" Gus asked the mother, totally oblivious about how much he´d creeped out her son.

„Danny." Mrs. Harris answered freely.

„What does he have?" Juliet asked a little uncomfortable but not able to stop her curiosity.

„Cranial brain damage." Mrs. Roth answered, the pain her son´s handicap caused her very obvious in her voice. „Since his birth. David got the best therapists he could get. For years it didn´t help anything. But now he´s getting better almost every week." she started to smile and looked at her boy proudly as if it was something he´d accomplished with long months of hard work. And maybe this wasn´t even that far off. „The doctors say he grows out of it somehow." she shrugged. „Slowly but he does."

„That´s good." Juliet said with an empathizing smile, which was highly appreciated by the woman with the boy in her arm.

„Yeah." Shawn agreed and with a smile for the boy he added: „Right, buddy?"

The boy took Shawn´s smile and bobbed in his mother´s arms happily. „I -anny!" he shouted. „Nod -uddy. -anny!"

„Right." Shawn laughed. „Stupid me. Danny."

Again the boy laughed and looked at his mother proudly. She smiled back at him.

„Ma´am, we really like to speak to your husband." Lassiter came back to the real reason of their visit.

„Well, I´m right here." a deep voice came from behind Amanda and made her turn around.

A tall man with white bushy hair came into the room. His skin was tanned and somehow leathery but despite his white hair he didn´t look older than mid forties.

„What can I do for you, detectives?" he asked them, one hand lying protectively on his wife´s shoulder.

„Mr. Harris, did you hear that your former boss has been kidnapped?" Lassiter asked him right away.

„I did." Harris affirmed, meeting Lassiter´s poking gaze as well as his wife´s asking eyes. „Just before you came actually." he told them. „I got a call from the hospital. It´s a big mess I can tell you that."

„Yeah?" Lassiter immediately jumped at this opportunity. „How so?"

Harris remained calm and all business with his answer.

„As Mr. Roth´s administrator I have to work through all the different papers that come with every single change in his status quo." he explained. „It was already hard enough to deal with him being unresponsive. But now that his whereabouts is unknown it gets even more complicated."

„You are not concerned about his well being?" Gus asked a bit scandalized.

„That´s pretty … inhuman." Shawn agreed.

„I´m an administrator." Harris explained himself. „Of course I hope that Mr. Roth is all right but I have to take care of a lot of money and even more important a lot of people who work for Mr. Roth."

„I guess by now they work for you." Lassiter replied.

„Technically yes. Formally, they are still employees of the Roth empire."

„Empire. Interesting choice of words."

„Not if you would know how loaded the guy was."

„Mr. Harris, how long did you work for Mr. Roth?" Lassiter wanted to know.

„Three years."

„And he makes you his administrator over all his wealth? Did you blackmail him with something to get that position?"

„No." Harris chuckled. „I was startled myself when he gave me that position. He said, he trusted me. I´m a soldier. When we make an oath, we keep it till death."

„Or till catatonic." Lassiter added.

„You think I took Roth?" Harris asked defensively. „Why should I do that?"

„I don´t know. Tell me."

The kid in Amanda´s arm started crying all the sudden. Amanda wagged him a little, throwing the detective a reproving glance which remained unresponded. Eventually she turned around and walked away with her son to calm him down in the other room. Harris looked after her for a moment before he turned back to Lassiter.

„Detective." he said. „If I would have wanted Roth to be anywhere else than in that hospital, I could have sent a limousine to get him there. But I thought that unnecessary since he was taken good care of."

„There are better hospitals over the united states than that one." Juliet mentioned.

„None of them would have brought him back from his state." was Harris composed answer.

„You sure about that?" Lassiter poked.

„Pretty." Harris threw a glance around to make sure his wife was gone. „Let´s talk straight, detectives." he demanded. „You worked Roth´s case. That means you know what Roth did, before he fell into this waking coma. He was delusional. He thought that there were people out there that needed to be eliminated and he hired mercenaries to do that job for him."

„You knew about those killer commandos?" Lassiter asked.

„I had my ideas." Harris rephrased it. „I even started to collect evidence, intending to give it to the police some day. But then a certain incident in Durham Street made all that unnecessary."

„Can you prove that you collected these evidence?" Juliet asked him.

„Sure."

„Show us." Lassiter demanded.

Harris sighed but then he turned around and called for the limping butler. „Aaron! Show these detectives my computer and office, please."

„You´re not coming with us?" Lassiter asked suspicious.

„I still have work to do." was the exhausted excuse. „Aaron knows where everything is. If you have any questions, you can ask him."

„Yeah, but we´re actually not quiet done yet." Lassiter insisted. „You see, we would still like to have a look around this … house."

„Make yourself at home." was all Harris would say to that. „But be careful with the porcelain, please. It´s very sensitive. Aaron will show you everything you want to see."

With that he turned around and left them behind.

The detectives exchanged a glance but no one said a word. When Aaron the butler asked if they wanted to follow him, Lassiter did. He threw Juliet a silent glance and she understood. Instead of following him and Aaron, she made her way over to the door through which Amanda had vanished with her son. Before she went through it, she threw a glance behind herself to see Shawn and Gus wander off to have a look around the house.

She smiled subtly, grateful for this awesome team they all were. No one had to say a word and yet everybody knew what was their respective task. She opened the door and entered the enormous kitchen.

Mrs. Harris sat at the counter and drank a coffee. Little Danny was nowhere in sight.

„Where´s your son?" Juliet asked with a frown.

„I put him in his playpen." Amanda answered. „Outside on the veranda. He loves to hear the birds sing. That always calms him down."

„I see." Juliet felt a little uncomfortable since it had been them who´d upset the kid. But she had to make herself go on. „Mrs. Harris, what exactly is it you do here?" she asked therefor. „I figure you´re not just a stay home mom." she added with a glance at Amanda´s fine clothings.

The other woman looked back at her with open eyes, performing a subtle nod.

„I´m the head of the human resource department." she answered Juliet´s question. „That allows me to work at home …" at this she gestured around herself. „… and stay with Danny most of the time."

„Do you know how many of the men, Roth hired have a military background?" Juliet kept her questions trained on the main subject, determined not to let the matter of the kid distract her again.

„Oh, many of them." Amanda answered and took a sip of her coffee. „Some of them know David since his time as a Marine."

„Did you ever see any of these two?" Juliet lay the surveillance pictures before her.

„No." Amanda answered after she´d had a look at them. „And I know everyone that works in this place. They´re all good people."

„I don´t want to doubt that." Juliet assured her firmly. „But we still need their files to make sure."

„I´m not giving them to you." was the immediate answer.

Juliet was totally taken aback by the sudden hardness in the woman´s voice.

„There is still something that´s called data privacy in this country." Amanda said, reading Juliet´s facial expression for what it was. „And as long as you don´t have a warrant for these files, I´m not gonna give them to you." she repeated.

Juliet looked into those adamantine and hard eyes of the woman before her and understood that she´d read her the wrong way earlier. Amanda Harris might be a loving mother but she was also a determined fighter if she wanted to be. And to protect the privat files of her husband´s employees was a reason for her to fight. Unfortunately Juliet had to fight back in this regard. She looked down for a moment, taking a sheet of paper out of her pocket.

„Well." she said, now speaking hard as well. „That´s very pity. Because you see, we have a warrant for these files. Mr. Roth had hired various killer commandos over the last two years and …"

„What are you talking about?" Amanda interrupted her, an expression of annoyance on her face. „Killer commandos?" she repeated as if Juliet was trying to mock her. „Are you out of your mind?"

For a moment, Juliet was too startled to keep up her facade of the tough cop, she´d put on. This reaction seemed honest. Was it possible that Amanda truly had no idea about what Roth had done before all these things had happened? Her husband had only too much information about it. Had he never told her? How could she not know when she worked for the same company?

„Mrs. Harris." she addressed her firmly. „Over the last two years, Mr. Roth has send killer commandos formed of mercenaries after different people all over the country." she told her, carefully watching the other woman´s expression. It was full of confusion and disbelieve. „I can personally attest to that." Juliet told her. „One of these commandos came to my house."

Amanda shook her head, her eyes were still at Juliet but she seemed to look into a far away distance. Once again Juliet felt her compassion crack into her cop´s facade and she had to make herself go on.

„I don´t know if your husband knew any more than he claims that he knew." she said as firmly as she could. „But until we have evidence for his innocence or anyone elses on Roth´s payroll for that matter, they all remain possible suspects. So please. Would you just bring me the files? Otherwise I´ll have to get them myself."

Amanda was still in this other sphere with her eyes but at least she seemed to have understood Juliet´s words. She nodded briefly and got up from her place. Her movements were a little jittery.

„I´ll get you the files." she said without looking at Juliet.

The detective didn´t know anything else to say than: „Thank you."


	3. The Fortress of Secrecy

**The Fortress of Secrecy**

Shawn and Gus were walking around this amazingly big house as if they were exploring a museum. The place was huge. The only time they´d seen something similar was at Declan´s and it was still no comparison. Alone the library in which they currently stood was big enough to have a soccer game in there. Of course they would have to remove the expensive vases and porcelain figurines first. And maybe the pictures on the walls too. And the furnitures, because they looked highly expensive as well. And the carpet. Even the floor that wasn´t covered by carpets.

„Man, this guy is seriously loaded." Shawn exclaimed.

„I know, Shawn." Gus agreed not less intimidated by all that wealth.

„Honestly. How much do you think costs something like that?" He reached out a hand to touch one of the big candeliers that hung on the wall and sure as hell, as soon as he´d wrapped his fingers around it, the piece broke off and he had it in his hand. Gus´ mouth dropped open in shock.

Outside they heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and Shawn looked around hastily to find a place to hide the corpus delicti. Readjusting had proven the wrong tactic so he hurriedly put it into a golden umbrella stand, only a few seconds before Harris walked into the room. When he saw them, he halted for a moment, confused over Shawn´s put on smile and his tensed posture. Eventually he dismissed it though, nodding at them firmly.

„Gentlemen."

„Mr. Harris." Shawn replied and raised his hand to his temple. The gesture only caused a smile on Harris´ side.

„Don´t bother." he said. „I already told you everything I know."

„You really sure about this?" Shawn asked.

„Yes." Harris answered. „I am."

„Well, I sense that you are sure about yourself, even though that might turn out to be a false assessment. But I can understand you. Living in a place like that can cloud the judgement."

„My judgement?"

„It´s a well known fact that people with lots and lots of money …"

„And even more." Gus added.

„… think that they are invincible." Shawn finished his sentence. „You sure can buy you almost everything. Good lawyers … mercenaries …"

„The Roth family has a pretty good lawyer and the money is not mine." Harris replied unimpressed. „I´m only the administrator."

„But you can use it the way you figure to be appropriate, as long as it is in your client´s assumed best interest." Gus pointed out.

Harris looked at him for a moment and it was obvious that he hadn´t expected such a response.

„That´s right." he affirmed. „I indeed used a big amount of the money I´m supposte to administer, for something of my own interest." Before Shawn or Gus could say anything though, he added: „To support the research for mental illnesses in children. I´m not sure if Mr. Roth would have agreed to that but that is the advantage when you can estimate your client´s best interest without risking that he´ll speak against it. I think those children will be grateful one day."

„You hope for a cure for your son?" Gus asked with a frown.

„No." Harris said. „I hope that my son is strong enough to cure himself. He´s on a good way already. But others are not and I want them to have the same chance as Danny."

Shawn exchanged a doubting glance with Gus. Even he knew that this kind of hope was illusory and that mental illness was nothing a kid just grew out of.

„Back to the point." he cried to skip the subject. „You have something to hide."

„If that is so, you will find it out, psychic." Harris replied. „You want to read my hand? I´m more than willing to cooperate."

„No, thank you, sir." Shawn said. „The spirits will tell me everything I need to know about you … in time."

Harris shrugged. „Suit yourself." he said and was in the process of leaving, finally getting to cross the room the way he´d intended it when he came in.

Shawn looked after him and spotted something in the bookshelf behind Harris. It was pure coincidence and in moments like this Shawn wondered if his talking about the spirits that showed him what he needed to know in time, wasn´t a tiny bit true after all. The book that stood in that shelf amongst others about paranormal subjects, read the name Suresh.

„Ou!" he cried and pretended to stumble back. „I´m getting something. I´m getting a name. Suresh." Harris frowned but Shawn pretended not to notice it. „That´s weird." he said and looked at Gus. „Why do I hear that name all the sudden? It´s a name of great interest. I also get the Loch Ness monster and U.F.O.-abductions. That´s weird."

„Shawn."

„You have quiet an interest in this man Suresh, don´t you?" Shawn addressed Harris again, ignoring Gus. He started to look around seemingly randomly and then all the sudden he pretended that his hand was pulled by an invisible force. Crying out a false cry of surprise, he stumbled over to the book shelf.

„What is that?" he cried. „Gus."

Without waiting for any kind of response, he looked back at Harris with a victorious gaze.

„So you told us everything you know, huh?" he asked. „And what´s this?"

He reached into the book shelf and grabbed the book, holding it out for Harris to see that he´d found his secret. Harris frowned confused and so did Gus. Shawn looked down on the book and realized that he´d grabbed the wrong one. It read "My Paranormal Bicycle". Shawn nonchalantly put it back and took the right one instead, picking up his former victorious grin again.

„Dr. Mohinder Suresh." he spoke. „Funny that his book stands here."

„I´m a collector of books with strange and weird subjects." Harris shrugged. „Everything from paranormal cars to alien abductions can be found in this shelf."

Shawn looked the shelf over for a moment, pretending that he hadn´t noticed that already.

„And the author of this book is a Chandra Suresh." Harris added.

Shawn frowned and looked at the book again. This time Harris had told him something he hadn´t noticed. But now that he looked at it he found it was true. The author really was a Chandra Suresh. Not Raj´s cousin Mohinder. What the hell? He´d been so sure.

But his mistake didn´t seem to diminish the effect Shawn had intended, because Harris was frowning too, looking at him quiet interested.

„Why did you say Mohinder Suresh?" he wanted to know.

„Sometimes he gets things wrong." Gus explained with an apologetic smile. „Please, excuse us. Shawn."

With that he took the book from Shawn and handed it back to Harris, dragging Shawn away in the process.

„That was embarrassing." he hissed at him.

„What?" Shawn cried. „Dude, how could I know that this name Suresh is so widespread? There are probably a dozens of them in India who have written books like that."

„No, Shawn." Gus denied. „It´s his father."

„Whose father?"

„Mohinder´s. This Chandra Suresh was his father. He is the one who came up with the theory of people developing abilities in the first place."

„Seriously? Dude. That means we´re on something here."

„Not necessarily." Gus argued. „Harris could really be just a fan of mysterious stuff like that. Did you see his collection? He even had five books of Erich von Däniken. And a primary edition of Fantastical Past. That´s a collector´s edition."

Shawn frowned and looked at his friend as if he´d spoken another language. „What are you talking about?" he asked him. „You actually know those books?"

„Some of them." Gus replied defensively. „Those are interesting topics, Shawn. And … listen. I´m just saying that we shouldn´t jump to conclusions right away. Just because Suresh´s book stands in Harris´ shelf."

„Gus, I know that there is something about that book." Shawn insisted. „I just feel it. In here." He held up his hand and showed him his fingertips.

Gus looked at the dancing fingers and raised an eyebrow.

„In your fingernails?" he asked.

„No. Gus. In my psychic nerve endings."

„You have no psychic nerve endings."

„Who says that I haven´t?"

Gus only shook his head and walked past him to get out of this place. Shawn followed him, still insisting on his point of view and was ignored.

Behind them in the library Harris stood in the door and watched them go. He´d heard the whole talk and now he was in deep contemplation. He´d never expected that he would agree about something with this fake psychic, because so far he´d considered him to be just that. A fake. It had been Ashton who´d insisted on it being real and worth a shot. So far Harris had refused to listen to him. But now …

He´d found Suresh´s book within all these others after all. And he´d picked up the right name as well, so it couldn´t be explained with him having read the name on the cover. So maybe there was something about this guy after all.

„Right." he said quietly, answering Shawn´s question to Gus. „Who says you haven´t?"

He looked down at the book in his hands. Maybe he had to reconsider his opinion about this psychic. There could be a chance that he had an ability after all. And Harris knew someone who could find that out for him.

...

It was eight thirty p.m. The lab was dark except for the part around the computer and the electronic microscope, Mohinder Suresh was currently working on. He had been working in here for hours and hadn´t even noticed that it had gotten darker and darker around him. The computer screen and his little reading lamp provided him with all the light he´d needed so far. But slowly even his back started to call for some rest and he had to sit up and stretch himself. When he looked up, he finally realized how late it was and with that he knew to identify the stiffness in his back with tiredness.

It had been a long day. Hell, it had been three long days. This woman in Austria with the ability to make thunderstorms change their direction, had kept him and Sylar busy for quiet some time and now he felt exhausted … and he didn´t even know why.

It hadn´t been the way there or the tests they´d performed with her. She´d been surprisingly willing to listen to them – or better yet, she´d been willing to listen to Sylar. It was still a mystery to Mohinder how this man managed it to make people listen to him and to actually trust him the way he did. That was a joke. People tended to trust the serial killer more than the scientist. Okay, those people didn´t know about Sylar´s past but that didn´t matter. It was a curious thing. One that was mystifying the geneticist more at times than the abilities they studied.

He rubbed his hand over the fire scars on his right arm absent mindedly. The scars a certain crazy without a name had marked him with a few months ago. It looked disgusting but still he couldn´t help but found himself touching it again and again, trailing the map of scars his own skin had become. A real mystery, he thought with a sleepy mind, still wondering about Sylar´s ability to make people trust him. That and of course the fact that he, Mohinder, truly allowed Sylar to come along to visit those special individuals.

He chuckled slightly over that thought. Funny indeed.

It hadn´t been easy for him to get there. First he´d been very reluctant to allow it. But after a while … he couldn´t even remember what had given the last tip but someday he´d just allowed Sylar to come along and it had worked. No incident, no mistake from Sylar´s part, no indication that it could be dangerous when he was around someone with an ability. Mohinder had never believed that this day would come but he´d actually started to believe that Sylar was able to control his inner killer. If he wouldn´t believe that, he´d never allowed him to come near any of those people. And there had been three so far. One guy in Sweden, one woman in Bulgaria and one old man in Iceland. This woman they´d just come back from, had been the fourth.

Four people with special abilities. Four test subjects for him to study. Four times where Sylar had proven reliable. It was strange. But it was also inspiring hope. For quiet some time now, Mohinder had started to believe in hope again. Up until now it looked as if things could be better again, even after all these years of fights and despair and tragic events.

Then why oh why did he feel so exhausted and depressed all the sudden? Everything had gone well just like it had gone well these last five months. The trip had been a short one compared to the others. Austria was practically around the corner. A flight of about two hours. They´d been back at C.E.R.N. in no time. So why? Why was he feeling so … down?

He looked at the microscope and sighed. Why was he even asking that question? He knew why. Sometimes memories had the annoying tendency to bug him just when they were the least wanted. Right now when everything was going his way, it had to come back to him. Of course. Mustn´t be too easy.

He leaned back in his chair and rested his head against the backrest for a moment. It was not fair. It was not fair that no ability no matter how strong it was, no matter if it was his own or Sylar´s, could keep those ghosts from the past away. They always came back to pester your mind. Always. It was just not fair.

Mohinder closed his eyes and his mind started to drift off. A minute later, he´d drifted off to sleep without wanting it. Before him the computer screen kept illuminating the working space until the quadratic thing turned to screensaver and went dark.

Circa ten minutes later someone walked through the half open door, peeking into the dark laboratory. The name plate that read Dr. Suresh reflected the light from the hallway when he pushed the door a little more open.

„Mohinder?"

When the visitor spotted the scientist sleeping in his chair, he smiled and quietly walked over to him, his steps almost inaudible. He was holding two packages of Chinese food in his hands, one for himself and one for the always too hard and too long working scientist in the chair before him.

For a moment he considered to let him sleep. But he knew that wouldn´t do him any good, so he decided to wake him up, leaning forward to hold the food under the geneticist´s nose. It needed only one deep breath and the brows of the sleeping man furrowed, his eyes slowly opening. When he realized that there was something in his personal space that hadn´t been there before he flinched. His elbow knocked the mouse aside and the computer screen went bright again, illuminating the place a little more again.

Sylar drew the food back and looked down at the geneticist with a smile. Mohinder glanced up at him in confusion. When he understood what was going on, he sank back into his chair with an exhausted sigh.

„Hungry?" Sylar asked, shaking the food box invitingly.

Mohinder didn´t answer but he gave it to him anyway. The scientist didn´t object. He was far too sleepy for that.

„I figured you´d forget dinner once again." Sylar told him and went over to the door to switch on the lights. „You always do after we come back from a test subject."

„Thanks." Mohinder squinted against the light.

Sylar came back to the table, pulled himself a chair and sat down, already in the process of eating his own half of the dinner.

„How´s it going?" he asked. „Anything yet?"

„I isolated her gen." Mohinder answered briefly over a mouthfull of rice. His gaze went to the microscope and with that he fell quiet again. There was something in his gaze that made Sylar frown.

„You´ve been awfully quiet since we left there." he mentioned. „Something wrong?"

„I … just … thought of another person with a similar ability." Mohinder shook his head, becoming very serious and contemplative. „She was downright scared to death of me." he revealed, more talking to himself than to Sylar.

The former killer chuckled amused. „What did you do?" he asked him.

„Me? Nothing." Mohinder said and with a gloomy face he added: „My father did."

Sylar narrowed his brows in confusion about this revelation. He looked at Mohinder asking but the geneticist shook his head.

„It´s a long story." he said.

Sylar only shrugged. „I´ve got time."

Mohinder swallowed his last bite and sighed. His hesitation told Sylar more than his words how serious this must be for him. Whatever it was.

„It was 1961." the geneticist started to tell at last. „The American government had rounded up people with abilities and put them in a camp in the desert. To help them heal their … problems. My father was there … helping. There was this one girl. Alice. She had the ability to control the weather."

For a moment he hesitated, obviously unsure how to go on. Or maybe if he should go on at all. But then he just told him: „She was Angela Petrelli´s little sister. Angela was there too."

Now that was something Sylar hadn´t expected.

„In one night something terrible happened in that camp." Mohinder kept talking, as if the decision to tell the story was not in his hand anymore. „Almost everybody died. Things got out of control, people panicked … I´m not sure actually. I only know that this little girl was practically the only surviver. Next to my father that is."

Sylar gulped his food down rather dryly. „How did Angela survive?" he asked, far too stunned to think of anything better to say.

„She and a few boys had snuck out that night, because they didn´t trust my father and his pals." Mohinder told him. „Obviously they were right." He took a deep breath. „Unfortunately their idea of getting help came too late. And Angela´s sister … she ran and hid in the desert. Stayed there. She lives there until today." The geneticist shook his head remembering. „When I met her …" he went on, his eyes far away in a distance only he could see. „It was a chaotic situation but … just the way she looked at me. She saw my father in me."

Now Sylar finally understood the gloomy mood his friend was in. „But you´re not your father." he stated matter of factly.

„I´m not?" Mohinder replied, not convinced. „Look what happened to me. What became of me when I got in contact with these amazing powers. I idealized abilities just the way I idealized my father. And both turned out to be potentially evil at a closer look."

He looked down on his food, realizing that he´d been poking around in it for these last few minutes and put it down in frustration. His appetite was officially gone.

„You are not a bad person." Sylar told him. „You´re just human. You made up for your mistakes. And you´ve given me the chance to do the same. A bad person wouldn´t do such a thing."

Mohinder threw him a glance. „I tried to kill you at least a dozen times." he recalled.

„Point taken." Sylar chuckled. „But still I´m here. We both are."

He still didn´t get a reaction from the other man, but that didn´t mean that he was done yet.

„You know what I think, Mohinder?" he asked. „I think your father was just like you. Young, passionate … and way in over his head."

Now it was Mohinder who chuckled. „You think I´m in over my head." he repeated. „Nice assessment."

Sylar shrugged, a smirk playing on his face. „Well, sometimes you are, you´ve got to admit that."

„I think I can handle myself pretty good so far, thanks." Mohinder replied and picked up his food again.

Sylar didn´t give a response, only shrugged again as if to say: Whatever you say, doc.

He silently ate the rest of his meal and put the box aside, picking up the other gimmick he´d brought along.

„Hey." he called for the doctor on the other side of the table. „You want a fortune cookie?"

He threw it over to him without waiting for an answer. Mohinder flinched but somehow managed it to catch it.

„Why should I want this?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. „They always say the same."

„But it fits the reader surprisingly often, did you ever notice that?"

Mohinder rolled his eyes but broke the cookie nevertheless. He looked at the letter and smirked. „What did I say? `Your work is highly appreciated even by strangers.´ How original."

Sylar chuckled and broke his own cookie. Mohinder watched how his expression went confused and while he read the note, frowning irritated at what he saw.

„What does it say?" he wanted to know, curiously shifting in his seat.

Sylar threw him a brief glance and then read off the paper in his hand.

„Help. I´m being held hostage in a Chinese fortune cookie bakery. Whoever reads this, please help."

He looked up at Mohinder with an expression on his face as if to ask: What the hell?

The scientist was baffled for a moment. But then he noticed that Sylar´s facade was cracking, the left corner of his mouth slightly itching and he understood. A second later they both broke out laughing.

...

On the other side of the world, a man with white hair despite his still young age, was standing on the window of his office, looking out over the woods behind his mansion. He´d done it at last. As much as he hated it that Ashton had been right but delaying the inevitable had brought him nothing so far. He just had to take that step. And now it was done. He finally knew where to find the man he needed to take his project to the next level.

It knocked on the door and Hawk turned around, announcing that his visitor should step in. It was Olson, one of his best when it came to operations like this. The young officer walked up to the desk and straightened his back.

„I reckon you have instructions for us?" he asked.

„You´re right." Hawk replied.

„Where do we go, sir?"

„To Switzerland, Olson." Hawk told his man. „You´ll start off immediately. And don´t you dare to come back without him."

The young man straightened himself even more and saluted. Without another word of response he turned around and left to execute his superiors order.

...

David Paul Harris had been in war. He´d served his country in many ways and he´d seen a lot of cruelty in the world, in wars and away from it. He was forty-two and he´d seen enough to be sixty. Maybe that was the reason why his hair had gotten prematurely grey. It had also caused his eyes to be constantly trained, almost as if he expected danger from everywhere at any second. Possible danger. He was not paranoid but he knew about the possibilities and the always lurking death. He´d seen death in so many ways that it was hard to forget how close it could be at all times. His men called him Hawk because of his always aware gaze. Harris had never minded the name. It had become second nature to him and in his team it had been his title just like his rank.

After he´d quitted the Navy he´d decided to serve by ensuring peoples security. When he´d enlisted in Frederic Roth´s Company he hadn´t known that this job would change his life forever. It hadn´t happen all at once. He´d worked for the man for two years before he´d become the head security officer, a carrier that had not surprised him. He´d been a soldier and as a soldier he was disciplined and used to hard and especially more than good work. This of course hadn´t passed unnoticed and he´d earned respect and a promotion with that. And something else he hadn´t expected.

Roth had assigned him to coordinate a very special operation, something that had nothing to do with security anymore. Even though he´d called it cleaning mission. To clean the surface of the earth from potentially dangerous individuals. When Harris had heard the order the first time, he´d been cautious. Of course. The whole idea seemed far-fetched and slightly insane. Hawk knew that the government had killer commandos to take out very dangerous people. Terrorists and such scum. But the people he was supposte to kill were no terrorists. They were simply … different. And no matter what weird kind of difference this was, it was surely no reason to send out commandos for them.

He´d told Roth but Roth had talked to him and somehow after that talk, Hawk had seemed to see things in a different light. Suddenly it had seemed to make sense what Roth wanted. He hadn´t understood why but it had felt right. And so he´d done it.

A few times his doubts had started to come back but every time he´d talked to Roth about it, things had started to seem right again. After a while he´d stopped talking to Roth and that had been the time, when his doubts had started to get stronger than this weird feeling of rightfulness. He´d started to think things through a little more and he´d understood – he hadn´t been able to explain how that could possibly work but he´d known it anyway – that Roth had somehow manipulated him. His mind. To make him believe what he believed. To have him a hundred percent on his side. And it had worked. Until Hawk had started to keep his doubts a secret.

He´d kept following Roth´s orders but he´d seen the mistake in Roth´s plan. Roth had simply wanted to kill all these people. Because Roth had been insane. Hawk had been working for a mad man. But a mad man with a very strong power. And if he tried to stand up against him alone, he would fail.

So he´d started to collect evidence against Roth. To make him get caught in his own system. It would have worked. If it had come that far. But then things had happened Hawk hadn´t foreseen and his plan had turned out to be unnecessary. All the sudden Roth the mad man was gone and he, Hawk, was in control about everything. Roth had put him in charge because he´d trusted him and his abilities to lead. He sure would have never expected this to backfire in such a way. All the sudden it had been Hawk´s Company (sort of) and not Roth´s anymore. And Hawk had been left with a lot of questions to think about. The most important one being: What to do with all the Specials that were still out there?

It had been a long process of thinking, Hawk had went through. But in the end he´d found an answer. He´d found it the way he´d found his way to Roth in the first place. And that alone had been a sign in his eyes.

When he´d quitted the Navy, he´d done it because he´d been sick of all the killing. He´d wanted to get away from all the crisis areas of this world where people tend to kill each other every day as if it was completely normal. He´d wanted to find salvation and peace. Day after day he´d prayed in the chapel of his camp for a sign to what to do with his life. He´d joined the Navy and had sworn to serve his country. How could he serve when he dropped out?

As funny as it was he´d found the answer in a bit of TV. In a cop show, when the catchphrase of the police that was written on the black and whites had been seen in the screen for the audience to read it. To protect and serve. In this moment he´d known what he should do. Serving by protecting instead of serving by fighting. So he´d become a security officer and eventually came to Roth.

Back then he´d been convinced that his prayer had been heard and that this sign had been God´s way of helping him find his way. It had turned out to be a more complicated way than he´d expected. Instead of protecting, he´d been back to the killing again. He hadn´t wanted it but it had happened. Now he had a chance to make up for that. To do something with this new won power Roth had unwillingly left him. But what? He hadn´t known. So he had started to pray again, asking God once more for help to find his task in all of this. This great plan that was far too big for his simple human mind to ever understand it. And once again he´d found his answer in a piece of media.

This time it had been a newscast from New York. Seemingly a young girl had jumped off a ferris wheel and healed miracolously somewhat about a year ago. Shortly after that this whole thing had been revealed as a fake but some others had speculated about genetics and evolution. A name had been mentioned. Dr. Suresh, a geneticist from India who´d written a whole book about the topic. Activating Evolution the title was supposte to be.

The news had forgotten about the whole thing after a while but Hawk hadn´t. He´d gotten his hands on that book and he´d read it within only two days. And finally he´d understood. He´d understood that human kind was on the verge of becoming more than it had been before. That it was getting closer to be what its maker was. The bible had always said God had made men in his own image. Maybe mankind had only needed a little longer to reach the stage where it became really like Him. Maybe that time had finally come. And if that was true then Hawk believed – needed to believe – that there was a reason why he´d stumbled across all this in such a way.

These people were a minority so far. So new in this world that they had to hide and pretend to be as normal as everybody, probably scared to death of what might happen if anyone knew. And weren´t they right? As long as it was something that happened to only a few of them, it was a potential danger. Because people feared what they didn´t understand. But what they didn´t understand was, that this change was a gift from God. God wanted mankind to climb higher on that ladder to him. To become a little more like Him. It had started to happen but it was happening slowly. If there only would be a way to make it go faster. Maybe that was his task. Hawk´s task. To help mankind overcome that hurdle.

So he´d decided to find a way to make that happen. To fulfil that masterplan God had in mind for mankind. And to do so one had to learn first. Learn how these things worked. How it was possible that these things even happened. Only then they could get to the next step. Helping it develop.

They´d had a good start with that. They´d learned a lot so far. It had caused some of the poor souls lives but there were casualties in every war. In the end their deaths would serve the greater good, Hawk was sure about it. He needed to believe that or he would go mad with his bad conscience.

But now he had a chance to overcome that for good. Because soon he would have someone here who could tell him without any doubt what the future would hold and what his work he did here, would do to make the future of mankind a better one.

Shawn Spencer, the psychic. He was not only important for the program but also for Hawk. He would make his doubts go away. He would tell him the future and if he would succeed. Yes, he would be an interesting subject to study. They would learn a lot with his help.


	4. Ambush

**Ambush**

Shawn stopped his bike at the curbside before Juliet´s appartement house and they both dismounted, taking off their helmets. Juliet was about to say her goodbye right there but Shawn insisted on walking her to her door. She had to start working early the next day so he knew she wouldn´t allow him to come inside anymore, knowing that it would keep her from finding sleep for at least some more hours. But she didn´t deny him to come to her door and she sure as hell didn´t chase him away when he leaned in and kissed her long and longingly as if they wouldn´t see each other for weeks and months. Still after a while he had to accept the retrieve and let her slip away and through the door.

Shawn walked back to his bike, his steps light and bouncy. It had been a great evening. For a few hours neither of them had thought or talked about the case and Shawn felt good again, after those two days since Roth had been kidnapped. It was almost like a miracle that they could feel so carefree again, considering what they´d seen over the course of these last two years, since they´d learned that there were people out there who could kill you with a thought only. But they did. Shawn had no idea how but somehow they´d overcome the aftermath that had hung over them for so long. Now finally he felt like his old self again. And of course that had been because of Jules.

Not that he hadn´t enjoyed the time with Gus and Lassie as well, but Jules, that just had a so much deeper quality. After this evening he was sure that the last rest of distress he´d still felt over his experience with Sylar and all the others, had vanished for good. He was officially back in his own life and only his own life.

Not that saving the world wasn´t a great thing but on a certain point a guy just wanted to go back to his real life again, the one that he knew and loved. And now he finally was back. He was Shawn again, the fake psychic with the rationality preaching buddy, the querulous dad, the sweet girlfriend and her grumpy partner. And he intended to keep it that way. No kidnapped Roth would take that from him.

He mounted his bike again and after one last glance at Jules´ door, he drove off, a strange feeling in his chest as if he would really really miss to see that door. Why the hell should he think that? Sure he´d preferred it to stay and he still would like to turn around and drive back there, but that was no reason to feel such a strange thing. Maybe he shouldn´t have had that last smoothy after all.

The street before him was deserted. It was late and the route he took home was one with less traffic. There was only one car driving behind him. A van. It came closer quickly and Shawn drove a little to the right to let it pass him. But instead of doing so it only came closer to him until it was almost at his bumper. Shawn threw a glance in his mirror and sped up. What the hell was that guy´s problem?

The van sped up as well and approached him again. Shawn drove faster. Where the hell was the next turn? He would take it and lose this idiot. This was just ridiculous.

He heard the motor of the van behind him roar up once again and for a moment he thought that his pursuer had actually bumped into him. His heart accelerated from normal to one hundred within two seconds until he realized that he was still driving and hadn´t been hit after all. But if he hadn´t known any better he´d said he´d felt the drift at his ankles when the van had stopped only an inch before it crashed into him. But as it seemed they didn´t want to hit him. Instead they tried to scare him into steering too fast, to make him cause the crash on his own. Just like the demon in Poltergeist 3.

But not with him. He would beat them with their own tricks. He just needed a turn and then he would leave them behind to eat his dust. Ahead he could see this turn. Only one hundred meters or so. He threw a checking glance in the mirror and prepared himself.

In this moment, another motorcycle came down the street. Shawn saw it coming at him. A black machine, its driver leaning deeply over the handlebars. For a second he truly believed it to be a coincidence, that this other biker was just using the same road not guessing that he was passing a possible road kill. But then the biker steered right into Shawn´s way, as if he tried to knock him off his bike like a Kamikaze driver.

This time Shawn hit his brakes and steered to avoid the crash. He succeeded. In avoiding the crash. Unfortunately that was all he managed with that. The sudden change in speed and direction threw him sideways and all the sudden his bike lay on its side. He was thrown off and while his bike slid over the pavement and crashed into the guardrail, Shawn slid over the pavement into the middle of the road for what felt like an eternity, before he finally stopped and lay still.

From somewhere in the distance he noticed that a motor passed him and vanished in the distance. The van that had been following him. Everything was spinning. Everything was hurting. His head. Somehow he managed it to get his helmet off but that only caused his brain to roar with pain. The roaring got louder until it was right next to him. He opened his eyes when he realized that it was the sound of a motor. The other motorcycle.

Someone stood over him. A black figure with a big head like an alien. The driver. He was still wearing his helmet. Shawn could see his own reflection in the shield when the alien crouched next to him. He held something in his hand and brought it down to his shoulder. A sharp pain shot through him and Shawn felt his muscles tense.

The last thing he saw was that black helmet over him, showing him his own pain-distorted face. Then everything was just black.

...

The air was fresh, the way it was almost every day in the forenoon. Along the day it would get warmer but so far it was cool, even a little chilling. Still it was refreshing and helped Mohinder to clear his mind. It had been a short night, at least when it came to real sleep. Counting back he´d managed maybe four hours.

Despite Sylar´s try to make him think of better things, it had been impossible for him to force these memories away, that had come back to him. What his father had done to Alice and all these other people at Coyote Sands was still something that tortured him sometimes. Sylar was right when he said, that he, Mohinder, was not his father. But just knowing that was not quiet enough to make the guilt go away that easily. Once in a while it would just come back to him and pester his mind for as long as it needed to fall back into his subconsciousness.

It had been his father doing those things, not him and still it haunted him. Sylar´s case had to be even harder, he imagined. Because the guilt he had to deal with was his own and his alone. Sometimes Mohinder wondered how he could live with the knowledge of having killed so many. Not that he himself was a complete innocent when it came to cruelty and even killing. But there was a slight difference after all and Mohinder didn´t even want to try to imagine how it had to feel to carry such a guilt the way Sylar carried it. For him it was already enough to deal with the few issues he had of his own. And working side by side with a man that had killed so many people, one of them being his own father, was the one he carried with him every day.

He passed the corner of the museum and stepped into the full sunlight. It promised to be a good day, that at least said the weather forecast. And that was a good thing. Not just for his mood, but also for his work. Mohinder looked around the place and finally spotted the reason why he´d gone out here on this little walk.

Sylar was sitting on a bench. The one in front of the big exhibition piece of the open air-museum. Mohinder had known that he would find him here. It was his preferred place when he was out for a walk. From that bench he could watch the scientists walk by on their way to their labs or wherever they would run their experiments. Mohinder had never really understood what was so fascinating him about this sight, that he wanted to see it day after day. But that way he at least knew where to find him.

He walked over the grass and called his name, making him look around to him.

„Mohinder." he greeted back with a smile.

„What are you doing?" the geneticist asked even though he knew there was no real answer to that. Sylar would hardly say, that he tried to spy on the scientists in order to find a weak point or something as ridiculous as this.

„Nothing." was the expected answer. „Just enjoying the day."

Mohinder nodded. Nothing new about that.

„What can I do for you, doctor Suresh?" Sylar asked him. „Any sample I can deliver?"

Mohinder chuckled, shaking his head. „No." he said. „But you could come with me. I could need an assistent. There is someone we need to visit."

„Who is it?" Sylar asked eagerly, sitting up straight at once.

„A woman named Helga Almenhorst." Mohinder told him.

„What´s her ability?"

Mohinder shrugged. „Don´t know. There were some strange incidents when she was around. We have to find out what caused them."

„Finding out things like that is my speciality." Sylar mentioned with a grin. But then he asked: „What incidents were that?"

„I have a file in my lab. But on one incident she caused a train to lose all the energy and stopped it in the middle of the tracks."

Sylar´s gaze was highly fascinated at that. „Cool." he exclaimed and immediately wanted to know: „Where does she live? Do we need to take a flight?"

„None whatsoever." Mohinder denied. „She lives near Zürich. Shouldn´t be more than a few hours of driving."

An excited smile spread over Sylar´s face. „When do we leave?" he wanted to know.

„As soon as we both are ready."

„I was born ready." was Sylar´s overconfident response to that.

Mohinder couldn´t help but chuckled. „I appreciate the enthusiasm." he said. „The car is waiting out front."

With that he turned around and walked back the way he´d come, Sylar always by his side.

...

He was dreaming about Jules. They were both sitting at the kitchen table at breakfast and she was making him waffles with pieces of pineapple. Shawn looked at his plate and felt that he had no appetite. How could he feel no appetite when he was served something as delicious as this? What was wrong with him?

„Shawn?" Jules asked him. „Can you hear me?"

He looked at her and felt that he was still sleepy. Maybe that was the reason why he didn´t feel appetite. The night had been awfully short and his whole body still hurt from the … yeah, from what exactly? He felt as if he´d run the marathon at least three times, but he could not remember doing something like that. Why should he?

„Shawn Spencer." Juliet addressed him again. „Hey? How do you feel? Are you awake?"

She reached over to the light switch behind her and the lights in the kitchen went from nice dim to bright and merciless. Shawn squinted.

„Jules, please." he groaned. „Switch out the lights. My head hurts. It´s worse than a hangover, I swear."

But the lights didn´t go out again. They stayed as bright and annoying as they were. Why was Jules doing that to him? It wasn´t that he´d drunk this hangover on himself. Had he? And why couldn´t he remember where he got it from?

A squall of water landed in his face without a warning. It was cold and Shawn´s heart started to jump into his throat at the shock. He gasped and jumped up in his bed. Wait. Bed? Hadn´t he been sitting at the table with Jules? Where was Jules?

„What the hhhh … the hell." he brought out, his voice still far too high after this shock.

Someone was standing before him. Shawn´s eyes were still too overchallenged with the light. All he could see was the empty glass in the hand of the person before him.

„Sorry, for the fright." a male voice said. „But cold water is good for the circulation."

Shawn squinted again and made his eyes train on the face. When he saw who it was, his eyes went big. He immediately closed them again, painfully reminded of the bright light.

„You." he addressed the man. „What is that? Where am I?"

„You had an accident, Mr. Spencer." Harris told him. „We´ve taken care of your wounds."

Shawn looked himself over for a moment, confused and disoriented. There were bandages on his arms and the way it felt, there had to be some on his legs as well. He touched his wrist and winced at the pain it caused him.

„What do you mean accident?" he demanded to know. „You guys ambushed me. Was that you on the motorcycle?"

But in this moment he remembered that he´d seen Harris write something with his left hand on the day before and the biker, the one he´d thought to be an alien after the crash, had held the taser with his right hand.

„No." he found therefor. „It wasn´t you. So´t was one of your men. What do you want?"

„Incredible." Harris said interested. „How can you be sure it wasn´t me?"

Shawn halted and looked at him uncertain. What the hell did this guy want? When he didn´t answer his question, Harris just smiled.

„Of course." he gave himself the answer. „You are a psychic."

„What do you want?" Shawn repeated his question.

„Just some answers." Harris said. „Doesn´t everybody want answers?"

„To what? About the investigation? I think you pretty much settled that you´re not as innocent as you claimed to be."

Harris only chuckled and didn´t say anything. Shawn realized something and got scared.

„They´ll miss me, you know that." he told Harris. „When something happens to me, they´ll know it was you."

„Don´t be ridiculous." Harris replied. „We´re not going to kill you."

„Then what? Torture me? I don´t have any information for you. Lassie tells me practically nothing."

„It´s not about the case, Mr. Spencer."

Now Shawn was really confused. „Of course, it´s about the case." he insisted. „What else …?" But then he suddenly knew it. „You want to know about … about people with abilities." he found. „Of course. Roth told you, didn´t he?"

„Very impressive." Harris said nodding. „I must admit for a long time, I believed you were a fraud. But it seems I was wrong."

Shawn tried to read in that leathery face of the man with the prematurely grey hair but failed. His own fear freaked him out too much to think properly. What the hell did this guy want from him?

„What are you gonna do with me?" he asked.

„Nothing big." Harris assured him. „Just a few tests. You see, our goal is it to understand. How does it work? How does your brain deliver, or should I say, receive these messages?"

„My brain?" Shawn repeated, now totally freaked out. „Oh, no. Please don´t tell me that Sylar´s here. He´s not going to come in the next moment is he?"

Harris frowned. „Interesting." he mumbled, still looking at Shawn as if he were an interesting specimen. „Why do you think that he´s here?"

„He isn´t?" Shawn asked and chuckled nervously. „Well, that at least is a relieve."

„Actually he´s on his way here." Harris revealed. „It seems your ability is working overtime right now, isn´t it?"

If Shawn would have been able to compute what was going on right now, he might have been able to say something, to talk into Harris about this idea of him having an ability. Maybe if he hadn´t been so freaked out, Shawn might have understood right there and then, what Harris truly had in mind with him. But in this moment, all he could think of was this last bit of information Harris had let slip.

„Wha … What do you mean he´s on his way here?"

...

It was only eight in the morning but the station was already busy again. The detectives and officers that had worked the night shift got exchanged by their colleagues of the day shift and the place reminded a little on a station right after the train had stopped. Fortunately the whole traffic was outside of the conference room and Juliet´s and Lassiter´s debate with Noah and Lauren was undisturbed.

The video tapes from the hospital had revealed that the guy that had come in as a so called visitor, had indeed never shown his face. The only clear image they had of him was his jawline and the rest was effectively hidden under the brim of his hat. As if he´d known exactly where the cameras were.

The tapes from the parking lot camera had provided them with a license plate of a van but unfortunately this had turned out to be a dead end. The van had been rented and the guy who´d rented it had signed with John Smith. Still they´d gotten a description from the clerk and it fitted one of their culprits on the tapes. At least these two guys had been easy to identify.

„We still have nothing on the employee list of the Roth Cooperation." Juliet summarized her research of the files Amanda Harris had given her. „But I found out who these two guys are." she held up the screen-shots from the two false orderlies. „They are known mercenaries." she told them. „Hank Branstone and Arnie Finnigan. But they are not from Santa Barbara."

„Where do they come from?" Lassiter wanted to know.

„L.A."

„Crap." he mumbled. „That´s outside of our jurisdiction."

Juliet lowered her gaze, knowing that he was right and that there was probably nothing they could do about it. Everything would be slowed down from this point on. She hated it as much as he did, but facts remained facts. These two men were indeed outside of their jurisdiction.

„But not of ours." Bennet spoke up, making them all turn around to him in surprise. He was just looking at them, his face as blank as if he´d made a comment about the weather. „We could go there and talk to them." he suggested. „Ask them who hired them."

„What do you mean ask?" Juliet wanted to know. „What are you gonna do?"

„Nothing illegal." Bennet assured her and then after a short consideration, he added: „Too. Nothing too illegal."

When Juliet refused to show any reaction to this poor joke, he started again.

„Look." he said. „We´re no police. And these two guys are criminals."

„That doesn´t make a difference." Juliet argued. „We don´t use torture to get our information."

„All right." Bennet held up his hands. „We won´t either. But somehow we need to make them talk."

„Then bring them in for questioning."

„If they do that their lawyers will call for a mistrial because we left our jurisdiction." Lassiter chipped in, obviously supporting Noah´s point and that worried Juliet.

„I don´t like this idea." she told him.

„You don´t have to." Bennet replied. „Just pretend that this talk never happened." He shrugged nonchalantly. „Lauren and I will have a trip to L.A. To do some shopping. You can send an arrest warrant for these guys to the L.A.P.D. just like you would do it if things would be normal. That´s what you would have to do, right?" he asked Lassiter for confirmation and Carlton grumbled a yes. Noah nodded and faced Juliet again. „As soon as we´re done over there, we call in an anonymous tip for them where they´ll find their culprits. No one will ever know who the two people were who harassed a few criminals just before they got arrested. And we´ll have our information … and won´t have to deal with the L.A.P.D. and all those turf wars."

Juliet looked into the eyes of this man who´d done who knew what during his years as an agent and didn´t know what to say. She sighed. His arguments were catching but that didn´t make her feel any better about it.

„Still, I don´t like it." she repeated.

„But it´s the best we can do." Carlton supported the idea. „These guys hired someone from L.A. for a reason, O´Hara. They want us to lose the track but I know it is Roth´s man. This Harris guy is dubious. He hides something."

„If he does, he does it really well." Juliet pointed out. „I looked through all of his files and there is nothing that would connect him to anything case related. He even said the truth about the evidence he collected against Roth. It´s all here."

„Doesn´t mean he´s innocent. They can still have an operation going on up there. That mansion´s so far off the track that they practically could harbor an army up there. What they do. Most of Roth´s men are ex-military."

„Harris´ wife and son live on that mansion." Juliet recalled. „I believe if something would go on up there, she would know. But when I talked to her she didn´t know anything. She reacted shocked about the mere idea of that."

„O´Hara, don´t be so naiv." Lassiter snorted. „She lied."

„I don´t think she did."

„Let me tell you from experience, detective." Bennet spoke up. „Just because a marriage is lasting for years, doesn´t necessarily mean that the wife knows all about what her husband´s doing."

There was a brief pause that filled the room. Juliet really didn´t know what to say to that anymore.

Bennet obviously took her uncertainty as agreement.

„We could be back till … let´s say five p.m." he offered.

Lassiter nodded. „Do it."

„But be gentle." Juliet added. „If possible."

Bennet gave her a smile. „Sure we will."

After exchanging a last glance with Carlton, the two agents left and the two detectives were alone again.

Juliet sighed. She still didn´t like the idea of letting them handle something that was their responsibility. Especially since she had the bad feeling that Bennet had a slightly grayish idea of overstepping laws in order to get the answers he wanted. Carlton didn´t seem to have any problem with that. Or he just didn´t see the danger in this the way she saw it. If anyone should ever find out that they´d actually sent them there, knowing that it could include possible torture of a possible suspect … something like that could end a cops career. And besides … since when were they okay with torture anyway?

But that was ridiculous. Bennet had never said anything about torture. He and Lauren would interrogate these men. Maybe not completely legally but interrogations could be intense on a regular basis as well. They would not do any harm to these men. At least she didn´t hope so. But on the other hand … how could she know?

She walked back to her desk and threw a glance over at her partner. He already sat at his own desk again, totally consumed with his work. He really didn´t seem to worry about what Noah and Lauren would do in L.A. Not that she didn´t consider it a good thing that he was able to trust someone as much as he trusted Noah. That was seldom enough. But still. Sometimes this man made her uncomfortable. His idea of moral and the law in general seemed to follow another order than it did for the rest of them. He´d lived in a world of secrets and halftruths most of his life, fair enough. But still …

Juliet sighed and stared at her desk, trying to make herself stop. If she kept on circling around these thoughts for much longer, she would go crazy over it. And that would help no one.

After a moment of simple breathing, she picked up her phone. It was not what she should do now, right now she should do some work for the case instead of making private phone calls, but she just had to talk to someone about this. Someone else but Carlton, who would only snort again because her arguments would sound naiv in his ears. For Shawn it wouldn´t sound naiv. He would understand, she was sure of it.

But when she called his number, she only got his voice mail. Strange. Why did he switch off his cell phone? Juliet hung up and stared at the phone on her desk in frustration for a moment. She would have so needed just to hear his voice for a moment. His real voice not a tape.

But it didn´t help. He was not available right now and she had work to do. She would try to reach him again later.


	5. The Next on the List

**The Next on the List**

When Gus entered the Psych office in the early afternoon, he was surprised to find it empty. Shawn had told him that he would be there today when he came from work but he wasn´t. His bike wasn´t outside either. But that didn´t have to mean anything. It was quiet possible that Shawn was just out to get himself a bite to eat or something like that. Maybe he´d gotten hungry for a special food he only got in the next quarter. There were many reasons why Shawn would take his bike instead of walking there.

So Gus decided not to pay too much attention to the momentary absence of his friend and sat down to start with his own work. While his computer started to come up, he picked up the phone and dialed Juliet´s number.

„Hey, Juliet." he greeted when she answered her phone. „It´s Gus. I just wanted to ask if there´s anything new about the case." And after a brief pause of about half a second, he added: „Is Shawn with you by the way?"

„No, he isn´t." Juliet replied. „And to your first question, there is nothing new yet."

She told him about the discussion they´d had with Bennet this morning and that she had the worst feeling about the moral in all of this. Gus assured her that Lassiter wouldn´t have agreed to something like that if he was worried about any form of lawbreaking.

„That´s exactly what I mean." she said. „That he isn´t worried at all. He should be. At least a little more than he is." She sighed. „I´m babbling, aren´t I?"

„No." Gus assured her. „You´re just … worried. That´s understandable."

There was something in his pocket that poked into his side and he reached in to get it out. What he found was the stick pin Shawn had found in the hospital some days ago. He´d put it in the pocket of his jacket and forgot about it. Until now.

„I just don´t know how to estimate Bennet." Juliet told him. „Maybe Carlton knows what he will do but I don´t."

„Hmhm. Me neither." Gus agreed absent minded. All he could think of was that he wanted to google this strange symbol on the stick pin. „Listen, Juliet." he said therefor. „I wanted to do some work. Maybe Shawn will have a vison later. It´ll come."

„I tried to call him earlier but he didn´t answer the phone." Juliet mentioned. „Did he say anything to you, that he wanted to go somewhere where he might have switched it off?"

„No." Gus frowned. „When did you call him?"

„Last time I tried … an hour ago."

That was odd. „How often did you try?" he wanted to know for no particular reason.

„Three times." Juliet answered. „The first time this morning." There was a brief silence and when she spoke again, she sounded worried. „Gus?" she asked. „Is everything all right?"

„I´m sure it is." he hurried to assure her. „Shawn will have a reason why he switched off his phone. I tell you as soon as he calls me, okay?"

„Okay." was the uncertain answer. „And I tell you if he calls me first."

„That´s how we do it." Gus replied. „I´m sure it´s nothing. You know how he is."

„Yeah, I know." Juliet agreed, a little more relieved this time. „See ya."

„Bye."

Gus hung up the phone. He sat there and looked at it in silence for a while, a deep frown on his forehead. What was that supposte to mean again? He knew it didn´t have to mean anything. There were various reasons why Shawn should be not reachable for the time being. Things like that happened. But all the sudden he had a bad feeling about this. A feeling he seemed to know from somewhere. It was familiar. Not in a good way. After a while he picked up his cell phone and pressed the one, Shawn´s button. He only got the voice mail, just like Juliet. Again there was this pressing feeling of bad news, but he fought it back.

„Shawn." he spoke to leave a message. „I dunno why you switched off your phone but … just call me back okay?"

He hesitated a moment, trying to decide if he could say anything more but there wasn´t really anything more. So he switched the cell off and put it on his desk. This was just ridiculous. Shawn was probably just eating a tacco somewhere, enjoying the day and had forgotten that he had switched his phone off. Just like always.

Gus sighed and shook his head. The stick pin still lay on the desk, waiting for him to figure out what it meant. At last Gus started google and typed in stick pin yellow and red. It was pretty stupid he knew that but he had to start his research somehow.

...

Shawn was sitting on a couch. It wasn´t what he would call comfortable but that might be because this whole living room wasn´t what he would call comfortable. And this again might be because this so called living room, wasn´t a living room but a cell. A well furnished cell but a cell. The door had no handle and the windows were covered with curtains so one couldn´t see right away that there was no view out of them, only the cold facade of concrete walls. Shawn guessed that this was some sort of bunker and considering the fact that Harris had been a soldier, this idea seemed more than just likely.

As if he´d heard him thinking about him, the door beeped and went open to let Mr. D.P. Harris walk in. Shawn watched him make his way over to him, without standing up from his place. Harris stopped before him, his hands behind his back, like a typical hotel director.

„How do you feel?" he asked him. „Is everything to your liking?"

„You guys are insane." Shawn replied. „Totally crazy. You really expect me to tell you that the service is great? I´m in a cell. A padded … sweet … put on cell with blue curtains. But a cell. What the hell do you want?"

„I already told you what we want."

„Yeah." Shawn said. „You got the wrong guy. I´m not a psychic. Okay? The whole thing is just an act. You´re wasting your time with me."

„You work for the police for so many years, solved one case after the other and the whole thing was just an act?"

„Yes. I … I´m good at making observations. I … I don´t have an ability. You …"

„That would be a real pity if that would be so." Harris talked over him. „Because in that case you would be of no value for us."

Shawn nodded in hopeful agreement, glad that the guy finally got his drift. But then he understood his mistake and what Harris´ words really came down to.

„I guess you wouldn´t just let me go, would you?" he asked.

„You´re guessing right."

„You know that they´ll miss me." he pointed out. „My colleagues. They´re going to look for me and they´ll find me. They´ll rip apart Santa Barbara to find me."

There was a strange smile on Harris´ lips. „Who says we´re still in Santa Barbara?" he asked.

„What?" Shawn cried flabbergasted. „Wait. Where are we?"

„That doesn´t matter."

Shawn dropped his eyes, looking Harris over for a moment. He didn´t know why but the man´s boots seemed really important in this moment. And after another second he knew why. There were seeds on the sole, seeds of some exotic grass that he´d seen growing on the steep of the Roth mansion the day before. Harris had recently walked by this grass, probably just before he came down here.

„You´re trying to fool me." he stated matter of factly. „We are in Santa Barbara. Probably right in your house. Or maybe beneath it? Yeah, that would fit. Military guys like you. You like bunkers."

Harris raised an eyebrow and nodded. „Impressive. You see, it´s not that hard to admit your gift."

„What do you want?" Shawn demanded to know.

„As I said. Just a few test. We´d like to know how your gift works. Is it mind reading? Telepathy? Future visions?"

„Why is that important?"

„To be able to handle a machine, you have to be able to understand how it works." Harris explained. „You need a manual."

„A manual for psychicness?"

„And others." his incarcerator nodded. „You are not our only guest. You will meet the others in time, I´m sure there will be possibilities for you to talk and … exchange experience."

„Aha."

„So I can understand that you are willing to cooperate?"

Shawn didn´t give another response but Harris didn´t seem to need one. He just smiled and nodded again as if Shawn had agreed with everything he´d suggested.

„Great." he said. „I´m glad that you´re so reasonable. We´ll arrange the first test for you."

...

They ended their business with the old lady around five p.m. They´d found her in the small church over the village of Albishorn where she worked as the cook for the local priest. This occupation of hers had made her reaction to them a real reluctant one. In her opinion the gift she had was a way of God to teach her how to be humble. All the accidents she´d caused, so she said, had happened because she´d been too blunt with this honor God had loaded upon her. Some strange but wonderful power that she was too small to understand.

Under different circumstances Mohinder would have tried to convince her about the mistake in her thinking. That this power was no miracle from God but a genetic thing. But that would have been a lost course.

Sylar´d seemed to understand that as well, because he´d changed in her direction almost instantly. He´d talked to her in the same language, discussing miracles and their purpose with her, and eventually the possibility that God might have given her that power to give humans a chance to start understanding His powers.

He´d sounded so convinced about the whole thing himself that Mohinder had started to wonder if he was really believing all this or if he was just acting. As he knew from own experience, Sylar was pretty good in acting things that were not real. But that was another page in a book that had been turned, even though he sometimes needed to remind himself of that.

Helga Almenhorst, the stubborn Christian, had allowed them to do their tests at last. As it had turned out, her power was to control magnetism. As simple as that. Mohinder was still not ready to believe it. It had looked so much more complicated at first. But there was no test that could match Sylar´s ability of understanding. And when he said that it was that, Mohinder just had to believe him.

Helga allowed them to come back the next day to do some final tests before they would head back home to C.E.R.N. but she´d had the same look in her eyes that she´d had from the beginning. You youngsters might try what you want with your tests and questions but you´ll never understand God´s plan, this gaze said. Mohinder did his best to ignore it and said his goodbye, thanking her one more time for her patience and her time.

He was in the process of turning away from her to follow Sylar back to the car, when he had a hand on his wrist all the sudden, old wrinkled skin holding firmly to his scarred one.

„Forgiveness is a great gift." Helga said when he looked at her startled. „But you need to start with yourself … if you want to find peace."

Having said this she released his wrist again and just sat back as if nothing had happened. For a moment Mohinder was just flabbergasted. What the hell? How …?

„Mohinder?" Sylar called behind him, bringing him back to reality.

He turned around and saw his companion waiting for him in the parking lot, an asking expression on his face. After one last look into the old woman´s face, that didn´t answer any question at all, Mohinder hurried to catch up with him.

„What is it?" Sylar wanted to know, regarding the frown on Mohinder´s face.

„Nothing." the geneticist hurried to assure him and made his way over to the car. „Nothing." he repeated. „Never mind."

„That´s a joke, right?" Sylar replied. „You look as if you´d just seen a ghost. We´re partners. I need to know what´s on your mind."

„It´s nothing." Mohinder claimed once again. „Just …"

„What did she say to you?" the other man demanded an answer.

Mohinder looked at him briefly. This was ridiculous. Why did he try to make a secret out of it anyway? He told him what Helga´d said and Sylar frowned. Mohinder shook his head. „It´s just some weird old lady talk." he claimed.

„Did you tell her anything about …?"

„No." Mohinder cried. Why should he?

„Then how can she know …?"

„She doesn´t. As I said. She´s Christian. Always trying to heal and counsel troubled souls and such. She took a lucky guess, that´s all."

For a moment Sylar didn´t say anything, just looked at him. „But she´s right." he said at last. „You know that."

„Don´t worry." Mohinder replied and opened the car. „I´m fine."

„Sure?"

„Yeah." the geneticist sat down behind the wheel. „This thing with my father." he said when Sylar sat beside him. „I´m over that. I worked it out long ago. It just … comes back to me once in a while. It comes and goes. Don´t worry. I´m fine."

„All right." Sylar said carefully. „That´s good."

Mohinder threw him a side glance, expecting him to say something more but he didn´t. It seemed as if he´d truly accepted his point for a change. Almost too good to be true. He could have insisted on talking this through. Usually he would have. But this time …

Mohinder started to motor and drove off, not daring to question this miracle. After they´d left the little church and this weird old lady behind he felt a little better. Maybe it was just the atmosphere of that isolated church that had caused this feeling of … weirdness. As isolated at Coyote Sands had been. Maybe …

„You know I never thought I´d ever be in a place like this." Sylar spoke up and startled him out of his thoughts with that. Mohinder glanced over to him. His eyes were on the mountains they drove through.

„What?" Mohinder asked confused.

„Living a life like this." Sylar explained. „A life of purpose. A good purpose." he added quickly. „I´d never thought I´d ever do this. But I do now. Thanks to you." he threw him a meaningful glance. „If you hadn´t offered me to come with you, I wouldn´t be here. And with here I mean C.E.R.N." he shook his head. „I don´t know where I would be but … I´m pretty sure what I would do again. You know what I mean. If I´d been alone again …"

„I wouldn´t have allowed that." Mohinder stated matter of factly before Sylar could finish this sentence. „To let you go on your own again, risking it that you would kill someone again." he explained when he met the startled gaze of the other man. „If it hadn´t been me that watched over you, I would have found someone else to do it. You wouldn´t have been alone."

Now Sylar understood and a tiny smile graced his lips.

„The fact that we´re here, is something we owe to Frank though." Mohinder went on. „Don´t forget that he was the one who offered me this job."

„So we both owe him, don´t we?"

„I think we do." Mohinder smirked.

Sylar smiled as well but there was still something else in his eyes, Mohinder noticed and this other something promised a turn in this talk, that he surely wouldn´t like.

„But it wasn´t Frank who offered me to come." Sylar went on and Mohinder groaned inwardly, trying to stay polite.

„So here it comes." he said. He should have known.

„You offered me a chance, Mohinder." Sylar insisted. „Me. Someone bad wouldn´t have done that. It´s important that you understand this."

„Why?" the scientist cried. „I told you, I don´t wanna talk about it. I´m fine."

„But waiting until it passes, doesn´t make it go away. You have to work it out."

„You are not a psychologist, Sylar."

„But I understand how it is to live with a bad conscience like that. You should listen to me."

„I did listen and I´m fine."

„Why do you keep saying that?"

„Why do you insist on given me therapy?"

„I just wanna help you."

„That is really nice but I don´t need any help, thank you."

Sylar exhaled. „Don´t be so stubborn. It´s not a shame to admit that there are things that …"

It was the sudden stop of the car that interrupted Sylar in midsentence. After taking that last turn, Mohinder´s foot had acted on its own, out of pure instinct. A roadblock like the one he saw now, would do that to him, especially with all these armed men in uniforms standing around it.

„What is that?" Mohinder asked out loud and threw a checking glance into the rearview mirror.

The men at the road block had seen them there was no doubt of it. But so far they didn´t try to approach them. They only looked.

„Surely no pass control." Sylar answered his question.

„Of course not." Mohinder replied. „We´re miles away from the border."

He turned around and looked back at the turn they´d just taken. It was only a few meters behind them. After a short consideration, he took the wheel and turned the car around to drive back the way they´d come. He´d just finished the turn, when a new group of men showed up at that exact turn. Mohinder hit the brakes again and stopped the car a second time.

„What the hell?"

The men were approaching them without any haste.

„Something´s wrong, Mohinder." Sylar blurred out.

„As if I hadn´t noticed." the scientist replied.

„They are not here for passports. They are here for us."

„We can´t know that."

„Then what do you think they want?"

Mohinder looked at the men in their dark uniforms and their guns and had to admit that it didn´t look friendly. They were ahead of them and behind them. To their left there was the rising rock face and to their right the steep slope. No way for them to get away.

„What can we do?" he asked. „We´re surrounded."

„Let me handle that." Sylar said grimly, reaching for the door handle. Mohinder grabbed his arm.

„What do you want to do?" he demanded to know.

„Ask them what they want." Sylar said with a face that asked: What did you think I wanted to do? He looked at him and raised a brow. „Stay in the car." he ordered.

Mohinder snorted. „Bad joke." he said and when he was out of the car he met Sylar´s smiling gaze over the roof.

The uniformed men didn´t stop when the two of them got out, but they slowed down a little. Mohinder noticed the careful and aware looks in their eyes. Why did this strike him as significant?

Sylar turned to face the men that had approached them from the roadblock. Mohinder kept his eyes on the ones that came from the other side. The ones that had been hidden when they´d taken that turn, he realized.

„Is there a problem, officer?" he heard Sylar ask.

„Pass control, sir." one of them answered.

„We´re miles away from the border." Sylar replied. „And you don´t sound quiet Swizz to me either. What is that?"

„Interpol." the man with the weapon answered and made Mohinder look around at him in surprise. „We´re looking for some escaped criminals." he explained.

„Up here?" Sylar asked. „Bad joke."

In the corner of his eyes, Mohinder noticed a movement and swirled around.

„Can you identify yourself?" he heard Sylar ask.

„Sure." was the answer and then there was a sound. Sylar cried out Mohinder´s name, warning him and then the man he´d been speaking to screamed, flying through the air.

Only a heartbeat later Mohinder was in a fight too, grabbing guns and collars and throwing all of this as far away from him as possible. He didn´t care about what happened behind him, about the screams and grunts he heard. Those men had attacked them, what meant they´d practically ask for this fight. And that was the reason why he didn´t try to hold anything back either. Whoever they were they had … Something nudged into his back and a moment later the electrical charges put an end to his resistance.

It was Mohinder´s cry of pain that caught Sylar´s attention and made him swirl around. He saw him go down, writhing in pain and the guy with the taser standing before him. Telekinesis put and end to this in an instant but it didn´t change that Mohinder was almost knocked out. Sylar ripped the charges off his back and lifted him up, helping him back into the car as fast as he could.

„We need to get out of here." he cried, dropping the scientist into the passenger seat.

When he finally sat behind the wheel and stumped on the accelerator, the wheels went spinning, spitting dirt behind the car and at the soldiers that tried to chase after them. A moment later the silver Nissan shot down the road and away from them. Just before Sylar took the turn, there was a plopping sound at the side of the car as if a stone had hit them. But he had no time to wonder about that. They had to get away from here.

Next to him Mohinder groaned, holding his head, leaning over the dashboard for support. He was looking at Sylar through his fingers and Sylar couldn´t help but smirked, the excitement of the situation getting the better of him at last.

„Did this remind you of something?" he asked the scientist.

„Yeah." Mohinder answered. „The tag and bag teams of the Company. But why should they …?"

He didn´t get to finish this sentence. Something exploded under their car and a moment later everything was turned upside down. The street spun before them and then Sylar was thrown out of the window, dozens of shards of glass piercing into his skin. He flew and then hit the ground hard enough to break every bone in his body. He wasn´t sure if he´d blacked out but he was sure he´d heard the sound of metal crashing against rocks.

When he opened his eyes again he could see the car lying on its side, one of the wheels still spinning like crazy. First he could barely move. But as soon as his healing powers kicked in and his wounds began closing themselves, his mind went back into gear. The car. The car!

„Mohinder." he croaked, struggling to get up.

His leg wasn´t healed yet but he couldn´t afford to worry about that right now. Stumbling and hobbling he urged himself over to the car. The windshield was broken but he could see through it anyway. Mohinder was still inside, lying in a very unnatural angle. Sylar reached out his hand and telekinetically ripped the windshield out of its frame. His foot got caught at something and he fell down, landing halfway inside the car.

„Mohinder." he cried and turned the scientist around. There was blood on his face from a wound on his head. His eyes were closed. Sylar pulled on him, feeling his neck to find a pulse. He didn´t find it.

„No." he cried and tried again. „No, no. Please." he begged. „Mohinder."

He pulled the scientist closer to the window, one hand supporting his neck to stabilize the head. There was a feeling under his hand when bones crunched over bones and his heart stopped for a moment when he realized what he´d just felt.

„No." he breathed and frantically tried to find a pulse again, knowing that he wouldn´t find one. „No." he cried. „No, please. NOOO!" In his desperation he hit out against the car. „This can´t be."

But there was no denying. Mohinder was dead. He´d felt where his neck was broken. More than just broken. Snapped in half like a piece of wood. This couldn´t be. It just couldn´t. But it was. No matter how loud he yelled and how hard he cried, it wouldn´t change a thing. _He_ couldn´t change a thing.

Sylar didn´t know when he´d cried the last time, when had been the last time that he´d felt so lost and helpless. So powerless. He had all these powers, telekinesis, shapeshifting, radiation, disintegration, superhealing for cry out loud. But nothing of this had been good enough. Nothing of this had been able to save Mohinder from being killed in this stupid car accident. An accident that had left him, Sylar, without a scratch after his body had healed itself. It wasn´t fair. It wasn´t right. He wasn´t supposte to be dead. Not him. Not him.

Sylar couldn´t remember how long he´d sat there, his hands clinging to his dead friend´s hair, his own sobs the only sound inside of this car that had killed him. But after a while there was another sound again. And this one came from the outside.

It was a motor that approached them. Him, he corrected himself. He was alone now. And they probably knew that. Of course they knew. They´d done this.

And now they came to get him, the way they´d gotten Mohinder.

Sylar had no idea who these people were and why they were doing this. But he didn´t care anymore. They wouldn´t get away from here. None of them would. Not after this.

His hand caressed Mohinder´s head one last time before he got up and out on the road again to meet them. They were already there, waiting for him. Sylar´s head was still hot with this rage he felt and in his hands he could feel the same heat, tingling, urging to be let out.

He could have raised his hands to fight them but there was no need for that. In only a minute nothing of this place would be left … and none of them either.

But his attackers didn´t wait for that minute to pass. A salve of bullets hit him in the chest and right after that, a syringe that pumped something into his blood. Sylar couldn´t even cry out in pain or frustration, he was already breaking down to the ground, his head spinning under the influence of the drug. Just like the car had spun. Just like the car.

* * *

**All righ everybody. Just one word about this last scene: SORRY! I didn´t want it to end that way. I didn´t want to kill Mohinder and believe me I did everything I could to save him. But sometimes there´s just no way. He sat in a car that got flipped around and he didn´t wear a seatbelt. I know it sucks but my powers are limited. So, once again. Sorry for that.**

**Oh, and in case you forgot. I love reviews.**


	6. Less words, please, and more action

**Less words, please, and more action**

When Gus pulled into the parking lot of the police station it was late afternoon. Far too late already. He felt as if he´d wasted the most precious time with all this driving around but he´d known no other way to find out where Shawn was. He´d looked up all the places that had come to his mind, where his friend could be hanging. But he hadn´t found him. He´d tried to call him on his cell phone a few times too and still hadn´t reached him. By now he was worried. Really worried. This situation was far too familiar for his taste.

Before he entered the station he tried it one last time on the phone but once again got only the voice-mail. He closed it without bothering to leave a message. He´d given up on that hours ago. Shawn hadn´t answered and if he didn´t answer his first messages, he wouldn´t answer the next. Damn, where the hell was he?

When he entered the station and marched over to the bullpen, Juliet jumped up from her seat as soon as she saw him.

„Did you reach him?" she asked before she even met up with him.

„No. You didn´t either?"

She shook her head and from behind her, Henry´s voice added: „Neither did I. What is this, Gus?" he demanded to know. „Where is he?"

„I don´t know." Gus answered rather helpless. „He didn´t tell me anything. He´s just gone."

He searched Juliet´s gaze again and found it as desperate as his own. She seemed to guess his feelings and this of course did nothing to ease her mind in any way.

„Gus?" she asked fearful.

„What´s the matter?" Lassiter joined the gathering when he noticed them all standing around.

„Shawn´s missing." Gus told him frantically. He again felt this unpleasant déjà vu from earlier. Hadn´t it been like that once already, somewhat around two years ago, when they´d been hunting a serial killer named Sylar?

Lassiter didn´t seem to share Gus´ worries though. He just rolled his eyes and groaned.

„Oh, please, not again."

„It´s serious." Gus insisted angrily. „We all have been trying to reach him all day. And I´ve been to all the places where he could be. He´s nowhere. He. Is. Missing."

The urgency in his voice seemed to get through to the detective at last. Lassiter´s gaze became very thoughtful, for a second. When he looked up again, his eyes were awake.

„This was this guy Harris." he stated matter of factly, startling Gus with this complete about-turn. „I bet Spencer was on something and he got nervous." and his words sounded so convincing that it made Gus gasp in shock.

„What did this guy do to my son?" Henry demanded to know but he was ignored.

„You can´t know it was him." Juliet objected to Lassiter´s theory.

„O´Hara, how much proof do you need?" Lassiter cried. „Your boyfriend´s missing. Of course it was them."

„And what are we gonna do?" she demanded to know. „Storming the mansion? I mean I´m with you but how do you explain that to the chief? Or the judge for that matter. What if that track is the wrong one? Then we would lose precious time to chase after those people while the track to find Shawn gets cold."

Instead of answering her questions, Lassiter´s eyes jumped to something behind Gus, a tiny smile spreading on his face.

„Maybe it doesn´t." he said and passed Gus, heading for the door.

When Gus turned around to see what the hell he was talking about, he finally saw them too. Bennet and his girlfriend had entered the station.

„What do you have?" Lassiter asked them.

„Quiet a lot." Bennet answered, giving the rest of them a brief nod. „At least I hope."

„What is it?" Lassiter wanted to know.

„Our two friends said they were hired by a man named Carson." Bennet started his report. „He didn´t tell them who he worked for and the guy that came with them, the one that didn´t show his face on the tape, didn´t tell them his name either. They described him as mid forties, tall and black hair, blue eyes."

Juliet shook her head. „The wig in the parking lot tells another story." she recalled and Lauren nodded.

„It´s a pretty common description." she agreed.

„What else did they say?" Lassiter urged for more.

„After they loaded Roth into the van they drove out of the city to a meeting point." Bennet kept talking. „Roth was loaded into another van with no plates, they got payed and drove off, brought the rented van back and went back to L.A."

„Then we have nothing?" Gus cried, not even bothering to ask how Bennet could know all these things. Right now all he had on his mind was Shawn.

„Not necessarily." Lassiter objected. „Did they say where that meeting point was?" he asked Bennet.

„Somewhere in the woods, they said."

„In the hills?"

Bennet shrugged. „That´s not quiet the Roth mansion but …"

„But it´s close enough for me." Lassiter finished the sentence.

„For me too." Juliet agreed.

This was the moment when Bennet started to understand that the urgency of this discussion was not just made of curiosity.

„What´s the matter?" he asked, looking back and forth between them.

„Shawn´s missing." Gus told him. „We think it was them."

„Though, we still have no real proof." Juliet added for consideration.

„But we have enough to suspect them." Lassiter insisted and this time she nodded.

„That should convince the chief." she agreed relieved, her eagerness to start obvious in her tension.

„Okay." Gus settled this to finally stop the endless discussion. „So what do we do?"

...

Shawn felt like being thrown into a cheap version of Matrix or something like that. All around his head there were wires attached to him, wires connected to machines, machines that were standing all around him, cold and impersonal as if he were a part of them. Nothing but a piece of technology that needed to be watched. The machines he could see where connected to even more machines, but those he couldn´t see. Because they were not in this room with him. They were outside, probably in that viewing room behind the two-way mirror.

Shawn chuckled nervously. So often he´d been in a room like that. So many times. But if that was supposte to be an interrogation, it was the strangest kind he´d ever heard of. What exactly were they trying to do in here? Scanning his brain for some magic illuminations? Probably. That´s at least what Shawn hoped. Oh, man, he so hoped that they didn´t plan to give him shocks through those wires like in One flew over the Cuckoo´s Nest. That hadn´t turned out too good for the dude in the film either.

The door was opened and Shawn looked up. A black guy walked in and for some weird moment, Shawn had expected him to wear a long black coat and dark sunglasses. But instead he was wearing a simple grey shirt and khaki pants. His eyes scanned Shawn and this whole arrangement around him with some curious surprise, before his mouth twitched and he chuckled, almost amused. The door got closed behind him, from someone Shawn didn´t see and they were alone.

Shawn swallowed dryly. The guy didn´t look like a soldier to him but on the other hand … he could never know. Nothing was what it seemed in this place, that much he´d learned.

„Wow." was the first thing his visitor spoke. It was more a comment than a cry of awe. „Not bad, man." he nodded as if in acknowledgement and took a seat opposite of Shawn. „So you´re the new fresh meat, huh?" he crossed his arms, eying him curiously. „What´s it you can do?"

„I´m a psychic." Shawn answered, not quiet sure what to do with the guy.

The reaction he got was another amused chuckle. „Seriously?" the guy leaned forward. „So you … you can read ma mind or sumthin?"

Shawn frowned. „No." he said. „I´m not a mind reader. I´m psychic." he raised a hand in an effort to explain. „I sense … things." he ended and waved his hand in a whatever-gesture.

„Ah, yeah?" the guy asked. „Cool. Like tellin the future or sumthin?"

Shawn sighed. „No."

He´d never thought that it could ever feel exhausting to tell someone that he was a psychic. But this farce was exactly that. Exhausting. Why did this guy ask him as if he was stupid?

„So you can´t tell me if I eva get outahere?" his new friend asked him, leaning back, crossing his arms again. He even looked a little disappointed. Now this was something unexpected.

„You´re a prisoner too?" Shawn asked startled.

The other man rolled his eyes. „What´d you think?"

„I … I don´t know." Shawn was confused. „You … you´re saying you … you have an …"

„An ability." the guy finished the sentence for him. Now it was him who frowned warily at Shawn. Shawn was just riveted.

„What can you do?" he wanted to know.

The other man kept studying him with this wary frown of his for a while longer. Eventually he answered: „I can talk." When Shawn only shook his head in confusion, he lost his patience. „Man, an you wanna be a psychic?" he asked.

„I already told you, I can´t read minds." Shawn replied defensively. „What do you mean you can talk? Of course you can talk. I can talk too."

„Ah, yeah? Can you talk Chinese? Or Japanese? Arabic? Anything of the above?"

Shawn still didn´t know what else to do but to shake his head. The other man nodded in return.

„There you have it."

„I have …"

„I´m a livin dictionary." the other one interrupted him impatiently. „Okay? I talk ev´ry language you want. When the other one talks Chinese, I talk Chinese. You have another foreign language than English?"

Shawn shook his head.

„Well, that´s too bad, man. Then I can´t demonstrate it. But I reckon I´m not the one who´s s´poste to demonstrate sumthin here anyway. So it´s your turn now. Tell me sumthin ´bout me. Because that´s what they want. And you better give them sumthin or they can get really messy with you."

„What´s your name?" Shawn wanted to know.

„Joe." was the startled answer. „Joe Hawkins. What´s yours?"

„I´m Shawn." Shawn said and reached out his hand, trying not to get caught in all the wires that hung from his head. „Shawn Spencer."

Joe Hawkins reached over the table and shook his hand. His gaze said, when I´m here anyway I can as well shake your hand if you insist. His squeeze was rough and almost hurt Shawn´s fingers. The palm of the other man felt crude like callus. It reminded Shawn a little of his dad´s hands.

„I sense that you are used to work hard." he said and made Joe Hawkins frown. „On a construction side or …"

„I was doin road works for a while." Joe revealed. „That was before I found out what I could do with ma mouth."

Shawn nodded, suddenly realizing something about this man. „You are a man that likes to play people, aren´t you?" he guessed. „I sense that you found a better way to make money. Not quiet on the legal base."

Joe Hawkins looked at him closely. He nodded. „Okay." he said. „You´ve got a point here. That´s good for them."

Shawn followed Joe´s finger, looking at the machines for a moment. Then he leaned forward, speaking with a lowered voice: „What do they want from us?" he asked Joe, but Joe just snorted.

„They want our blood." he said. „Ev´rythin that can tell them how we tick."

„How long have you been here?" Shawn wanted to know.

„Man, I can´t even remember." Joe sounded tired for the first time since he´d come in here. „You tell me, psychic." he demanded, back to his old cynical self.

„I sense you´ve been here far too long." Shawn said. „Long enough for everyone to lose hope."

Joe stared at him flabbergasted for a moment. A second later he brought his hand down on the table so suddenly that it made Shawn flinch.

„I didn´t lose hope." Joe shouted. „For the last time. I just know when I´m beat, pal. Okay?"

„Okay." Shawn pressed himself against the back of his chair.

„Look around." Joe demanded. „You tell me if there´s any way outahere without gettin shot. I dunno how you think ´bout that but I like ma organs where they are."

After this outburst Joe leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. He made a face like thirty days of rain. Shawn looked at him and realized some more about this man.

„Someone else asked you to keep fighting." he spoke it out, honestly amazed about the insight he´d gained within only a few minutes of talking to this man. He decided to take advantage of it and raised a hand to his temple. „Someone close to you." he went on. „Someone they captured along with you."

„The little rascal is not close." Joe objected. „He´s just related to me by coincidence."

„He´s your … son?" Shawn took a guess.

Joe just snorted. „No way. I was smart enough to keep that away from me. My brother wasn´t. He really thought a guy like him could have a fam´ly. He saw where that brought him. To his grave. Just like his girl. I´m not going there."

„Then why did you have your nephew with you?" Shawn asked confused. „You two were captured together."

„What do you think?" Joe replied. „He found me. The little idiot. Thought he could save me. As if. Wanted to play Santa by bringing the fam´ly back together. He was pretty disappointed, I can tell ya."

„Because you were a criminal."

„I ain´t no criminal." Joe Hawkins objected. „I just use my talents."

Shawn didn´t know what to say to that. Joe wasn´t that wrong with the way he put it. He was doing the same thing. Exactly the same thing. He had no idea what exactly Joe had been doing to make money with his talent, but was he so different? He´d used his talent and he´d made money with it. He really had nothing to hold against Joe. And in this situation they were currently stuck in, it really didn´t matter anyway. They had much bigger problems to worry about.

...

Outside in the room behind the two way mirror, Hawk stood behind a very concentrated Ashton, both of them watching what the two men were talking about. Ashton had his hand on his chin and was currently shaking his head over what he saw.

„What are they doing in there?" he asked out loud. „Holding a therapy session?"

„At least he had a few episodes." Hawk replied. „Hadn´t he?"

He pointed at the recorded datas Ashton´s machines had collected. The brainwaves showed clearly some amplitudes in the moment, when the psychic had divined something from Hawkins.

„I´m not so sure he had." was Ashton´s dry comment.

Hawk looked at him with a hard gaze. „What does that mean?" he demanded to know.

„See those areas?" Ashton pointed at the digital version of Spencer´s head on the screen. It was illuminated in three different colours, some areas of his brain clearly more than others. Ashton was framing them right now. „Those are responsible for perception and observance." he told Hawk in a bored tone that made Hawk want to punch him over the head. „I think he´s just pretending to have a vision to please us."

Hawk frowned. As much as he disliked Ashton´s attitudes but when it came to his tests he was usually right in his judgement. When he told him the psychic was cheating, then the psychic was most probably cheating.

„Well." Hawk said and straightened his back. „We can´t allow that, now can we?"

With that he walked out and right into the room, where Spencer and Hawkins were still chatting with each other. When he opened the door, admittedly with a little more effort than necessary, the two men jumped.

„That´s enough, Mr. Spencer." Hawk said. „Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Hawkins." he turned to the second man for a moment. „But I believe Mr. Spencer is not quiet willing to cooperate the way he promised. Is he?"

„What?" Spencer cried scandalized. „I was doing my best here."

„Don´t bother, Mr. Spencer." Hawk replied. „Our instruments showed us that you were pretending."

„What? Are you kidding? How can your instruments show you if a vision is real or not?"

„Oh, they can." Hawk assured him.

„No, they can´t." the psychic claimed but Hawk didn´t give a response. He didn´t need to be a psychic to see that the younger man was sweating. After a minute of pur silence, Spencer finally broke.

„Look." he cried. „Psychic visions are not that simple, okay? I can´t call them like a dog. They come to me and they do that when they want. Obviously they don´t want right now."

„So you say you have no control over your power?" Hawk asked, stepping forward. „We had around half a dozen Specials in here so far and each and every one of them was able to control the power they had. Only you can´t?"

„Okay." Spencer started over. „I don´t know how these people do it or what power they had. But psychicness is not a power, it´s a gift. Okay? So no, I can´t control it. I never tried. I´m simply humbly accepting that gift that was given to me and try to use it for a greater good. I don´t try to control something like that."

Hawk noticed a silent glance that was exchanged between Joe Hawkins and the psychic. Hawkins shook his head, subtly trying to warn Spencer. Stop talking like that. They won´t like that. Well, he was right.

Hawk stepped closer to Shawn Spencer, looking down on him with piercing eyes. The psychic crouched under his stare, uncertain what Hawk would do. Good.

„Well." the Commander just said, leaning forward. „You better find a way to control it. Because if you don´t … we will."

...

Only ten minutes after he´d finished his business with the psychic, Hawk met up with Olson in the corridor. Hawk didn´t slow down when he passed him, his glance only so brief, it could have been meaningless. Only that it wasn´t and Olson knew that.

„When did you and your men arrive?" Hawk demanded to know, marching down the hall, heading for the elevator.

„Only an hour ago." Olson answered. „Sir, I wanted to apologize personally for the way this mission went down."

They reached the elevator and Hawk hammered his thump on the button to call it.

„You mean that you got Suresh killed?" he turned to Olson and the young officer lowered his eyes.

„Yes, sir."

Hawk kept staring down on him. „How did this happen?" he demanded to know.

„One of my men tried to play hero." Olson explained without looking up at him. „He shot a tug grenade at the car and … Suresh didn´t survive the accident. The rest of the mission was successful though." he hurried to add.

„You can barely call it that." Hawk replied. The elevator was there and they got in.

„I´m sorry, sir." Olson apologized one more time while the car started to move. „I already disciplined the man responsible. You may do the same to me."

For a moment Hawk considered that idea. But to do that he was just far too busy right now.

„Maybe next time." he said therefor and allowed himself to relax a little. No need to crush the poor guy even more. He´d gotten the message. „At least you brought me what I wanted." he said. „Everything else can be fixed." He threw Olson a glance. „Be grateful for that, soldier."

Olson opened his mouth to respond but then decided against it. Instead he simply lowered his gaze again, nodding in silence.

The doors went open and Hawk stepped out, Olson always at his heels. When they reached the door that had been their target all along, he stopped and met the young soldier´s gaze.

„Arrange everything necessary." he ordered.

„Yes, sir."

„Is he conscious?"

„We were just waiting for you."

Hawk nodded and dismissed the young man. After Olson was gone, he entered the room.

The man that called himself Sylar was lying on a stretcher, his arms and legs safely bound. A hose went from his nose to an IV bag to keep him drugged and with that unable to use his many powers. Hawk looked at him and couldn´t help but wonder what might happen.

His men were standing ready, their guns always at hand, just in case. Hawk nodded, once.

„Wake him up." he ordered.

The corporal took a syringe out of the inner pocket of his lab coat and injected Sylar. Hawk stepped closer so he wouldn´t miss anything.

A minute passed. Then, very slowly, Sylar´s eyes started to twitch.

Hawk watched this process closely. He knew that expression. He´d seen it on his men in the field after they´d experienced a bad fight in which they´d lost comrades. Sylar was struggling with a bad dream. Hawk could see his lips moving but he couldn´t understand the words he murmured. But he knew the feeling that was buried behind this frown, beneath the surface.

And then the killer opened his eyes. Just a bit but Hawk could tell that he was awake now, slowly getting out of the daze.

He gave the corporal a signal and the stretcher was moved upwards. It always helped the first impression when the prisoner was able to see where he was and who he was talking to. For a moment the killer seemed disoriented. But then he dismissed his surroundings as if the guards and their weapons were merely decoration. Hawk on the other end was real. He was the center of Sylar´s attention.

„Who are you?" he demanded to know. His voice was blurred, still heavy with the drugs.

„You remember Frederic Roth?" Hawk answered without really giving an answer. „I used to work for him."

Sylar didn´t show any reaction – yet. „So is this some kind of revenge?" he asked, still sounding sleepy.

Hawk smiled. „Far from it." he said. „But you know what I did while I worked for Roth, don´t you?"

The killer lowered his eyes for a moment. „You were the ones that attacked and killed people with abilities." he found after a moment of thinking.

„I supervised it." Hawk rephrased it. „But essentially you´re right. You see … I always thought it was a waste to just kill them. In my opinion you were so much more value than that. But my boss insisted on it, so I did it. Admittedly not quiet by choice but I did."

„Why did you attack us?" Sylar demanded to know, his gaze starting to get darker. „What do you want?"

„Good question." Hawk replied. „Exactly on cue. Very good."

His tone seemed to make the killer angry because now he pulled on his straps, trying to get free and his hands at Hawk. Of course it didn´t work. The straps were far too strong and Sylar far too weak. Hawk chuckled.

„You see when you and your friends took Roth out of business, all his belongings went over to me." he just went on explaining himself to this killer. „I was his administrator, you see. Now I run the shop. And I have some better plans for you and your friends."

„You _killed_ my friend." Sylar burst out at last, ripping on his straps.

„Oh, spare me that." Hawk replied unimpressed. „You are a killer as far as I know."

„That´s right." Sylar rasped, staring daggers at him. „So you better don´t forget that. Because I´m going to get out of here. And then I´m gonna kill you. And your men. Everybody who was involved in this."

Hawk raised an eyebrow at the man on the stretcher. „I see." he commented. „Then I don´t even need to ask you for your cooperation, huh?"

The answer was clear enough. When someone tried to break free so he can rip you apart, there was hardly a doubt about his intentions.

„I didn´t think so." Hawk said. „What a shame. But that´s okay. We´ll find other ways to make you value for us. We always do." he nodded at the corporal and the man approached Sylar with a new syringe. „Until then …" Hawk finished. „Sleep well."

The killer struggled against the injection but in the end he lost the fight against the drug. When he slept again, Hawk turned around and left the cell. The way things looked, this guest would not get a room after all. Well, if he chose this kind of treatment, so be it. It was his decision, not Hawk´s. And that also meant that this little device corporal Garth had called a shunt, would get to be used on him after all.

When Hawk left the cell, Olson was already coming back.

„Is the girl ready?" Hawk asked him.

„She´s been brought over just in this moment." Olson answered.

Hawk gave him a brief nod. „Good. I want to be present."


	7. Wake up Call

**Before we start a short message to „Guest" who recently reviewed „Solve the Case": I didn´t know how fast you read so I put my answer here if you don´t mind. First, thanks for your kind words. Second, maybe you could send me a PM? Because your offer sounds like something we could talk about. **

**Okay and that´s it. No more delay. Here we go. Story …**

* * *

**Wake-up Call**

It was cold. And dark. From somewhere he could feel light approaching him. And sounds. He couldn´t quiet place them though. It could have been voices but he wasn´t sure. He wasn´t sure about anything anymore. Not even about himself. Was he floating? He couldn´t feel his body. He wasn´t even sure if he had one. His mind desperately tried to find a hold on something, something familiar, something that made sense. But there was nothing. Only this infinite darkness and this unpleasant coldness he seemed to drift through.

Where was he? How did he got here? And what was that force that seemed to pull on him, dragging him even closer into this cold. Couldn´t he just stay here, where it was dark but also warm? He didn´t like this cold. It was bad, he knew that even though he didn´t understand it. If he´d known how, he´d tried to struggle. But he didn´t know how. He was totally powerless.

His mind passed through something like a curtain and then all the sudden, the darkness was replaced by bright lights that hurt his eyes and pierced into his brain. His heart started to beat (again?) and his lungs picket up their former function. He gasped and it hurt as if he hadn´t used his lungs in years. His eyes shot open and he immediately closed them again with a cry of pain, believing that he´d just blinded himself. But then the pain left him again and he sank back and allowed his organism to calm down.

He was still freezing. Now more than ever. But there was something on his chest, a light pressure as if something was lying there. He opened his eyes and saw two small hands on his chest. Those hands belonged to a young girl, he found. She was maybe eleven or twelve. Her hair was long and as dark as her eyes. On her forehead there were some electrodes, hooked to thin wires that went to a machine on a cart next to her. When she looked at him, he could see the fear she must feel. Not of him though. But afraid she was. And a moment later he knew why. A man in a uniform took her by the shoulder and dragged her backwards and away from him. The girl followed him without any struggle but there was a crying desperation in her eyes.

He looked around and spotted more men like this one. They were surrounding him and they all regarded him with paranoid eyes. And weren´t they right with that? He had no idea who they were but he didn´t really care. He would not lie around here and play dead. His hand found a grip on something that felt like a bar, somewhere under the stretcher he was lying on. Without waiting for them to figure out if he would really do it or not, he ripped the thing off and jumped up to his feet. The sound of a salve of bullets, shot into the ceiling, made him halt though. In the corner of his eye he saw the soldier holding the little girl in front of him like a hostage. All the others were aiming their guns at him, ready to shoot.

„Be reasonable, doctor." a male voice said behind him. „You don´t want to die again, do you?"

Mohinder turned around and faced a man with tanned skin and white hair. He´d never seen him before but something told him that _he_ knew _him_ very well. What had he just said?

„Die?" he repeated the word in disbelieve.

The man before him nodded. „You were dead for at least twenty hours." he revealed.

Mohinder grabbed his own chest but could only attest that he was breathing. Dead? He?

„How?" he asked.

„A simple car accident." was the brief answer. „Funny, isn´t it? After all these other things you survived."

Now finally Mohinder remembered. The ambush. They´d fought and tried to run. And then … dear god, that accident had actually killed him? It seemed so.

„Who are you?" he wanted to know.

„My name is Commander David Harris. My friends call me Hawk."

„Where´s … my colleague?" Mohinder demanded to know, keeping himself from revealing the name just in time.

„You mean Sylar?" Harris only chuckled over his try to hide Sylar´s identity. „He´s here." he told him. „Downstairs. Just like some others."

„Others?"

„Specials. Like you. But the reason why you are not in a cell like them is simple. We want you to do something else for us."

Mohinder understood at once. „I´m not helping you with anything." he stated matter of factly.

„Don´t decide too quickly, doctor." Harris replied and waved for the man that held the girl. He came a little closer, still holding her secure as if he was afraid she could try to attack him.

„This is Sofia." Harris introduced. „She can´t talk but she has a really extraordinary gift. She brought you back from the dead, doctor. Would be a shame if something would happen to her right after she saved your life, now would it?"

Mohinder searched the gaze of the girl and she looked right back at him, shaking her head as if to say `don´t listen to them´.

„What do you want from me?" he asked Harris.

„That sounds better." the other man replied. „We want your cooperation, of course. Your expertise. You are the most extraordinary exemplar we caught so far. You are a Special but you haven´t been one from your birth. You made yourself special. We want to know how."

„What I did back then was an accident and can´t be repeated." Mohinder told him.

„Well, you better find a way to repeat it. There are more lives at stake than just hers."

„I don´t think that you will kill the Specials you caught." Mohinder dared to fire back. „You need them for something. You wouldn´t have taken so much labour on yourself if you didn´t want this. You won´t kill them. Or her."

„Maybe not." Harris admitted. „But we can hurt her. Really bad. And if she is not important enough for you to comply … then maybe someone else is." He turned to one of his men. „Show it to him."

The addressed man went over to a computer screen and switched it on. A picture, shot by a surveillance camera appeared on that screen. It showed a place that looked like a living room but Mohinder had a feeling that this was not quiet what it was. Another girl was sitting on the couch, a little older than Sofia, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old. Her long brown hair was hanging in her face so he couldn´t see it right away. But then she brushed her hair aside and locked it behind her ear.

When Mohinder saw her face, something in his mind just snapped. Forgotten were the guns that were aiming at him and within only two seconds he was at his feet and at the man that stood closest to him. The guard was taken by surprise and went down, knocked out by the punch he received. But the others weren´t. Something nudged into Mohinder´s back and then the electrical charge forced him to his knees.

It felt like an eternity before the pain finally ceased. He leaned against the wall, panting in his anger but well aware of the fact that he had no chance to keep fighting. Harris came up to him.

„I see we understand each other." he commented.

Mohinder looked up at him and wished to have Sylar´s ability of telekinesis. Then he would have shown this man how much they understood each other.

„If you do anything to her …" he growled.

„_You_ can make sure we won´t, doctor." was the dry answer.

Mohinder stared at this man before him and didn´t say anything. He couldn´t say anything. All he could say would only cause more problems. They had him and they knew it. So eventually he lowered his gaze and nodded, gritting his teeth.

„Good decision." Harris praised. „We´ll show you your lab then."

One of the soldiers came up to him and dragged him to his feet. Mohinder threw a brief glance at Sofia and then at the screen again. When he faced Harris again, his gaze was stonecold.

„If I get a chance …" he said. „I´ll kill you."

Harris only chuckled. „Funny." he said. „Sylar said the same to me, barely thirty minutes ago. Must be my charm." Eventually his smirk vanished and he nodded at his man. „Bring him out." he ordered. „The good doctor has some work to do."

...

„Detective." chief Vick leaned on her fists. „How much proof do you have that it was Mr. Harris and his men who took Mr. Spencer?" she demanded to know.

Half an hour ago her detectives had stormed into her office and demanded a warrant for the former Roth mansion, claiming that the man that resided there now, had kidnapped their consultant.

Karen´s first reaction to the fact that Shawn was missing had been a genuine shock. When had this happened? Regarding the look on Mr. Guster´s face it couldn´t be too long ago that they´d discovered it themselves. She´d demanded answers, explanations, anything that could tell her how to react to this situation.

The fact that one of her inferiors had been kidnapped was serious enough. But that Harris, the administrator of the fortune of Frederic Roth (who was missing himself, by the way) should be responsible for his vanishing, was a little too heavy for her taste. If that was supposte to be true she needed a little more than the three people closest to the missing and her head detective who claimed to `just know that it was Harris´.

But obviously just knowing hadn´t provided him with a lot of hard evidence, because now that she´d asked for exactly that, Lassiter hesitated.

„We know that the kidnappers drove up into the hills with Roth." he told her.

„How do you know that?" Karen demanded more details. „I thought you didn´t find the kidnappers yet."

„We didn´t. We just …"

„Then how can you know what they did after they left the hospital, detective?"

Lassiter stared at her, his lips forming a silent O when he found that he couldn´t answer her question. Karen noticed some uncomfortable glances Juliet and Gus threw at him and in this moment, her head detective reminded her awfully of Shawn himself. She gave him a demanding look.

„Tell me." she demanded, not really expecting an answer anymore. It seemed obvious that Lassiter didn´t have one.

„Karen …" Henry spoke up and took a step forward obviously fed up with the way this talk went.

„Spencer saw it in a vision." Lassiter blurred out all the sudden and stopped the elder Spencer before he could even think of saying anything else.

Everybody stared at Lassiter thunderstruck. The detective´s gaze was serious as always.

„Before he vanished he told me that he saw the three culprits drive into the woods and meet with another van." he told chief Vick. „That Roth was handed over to these other people and, chief, I just know that it were Harris and his men. If you just allow us to investigate this further. Let us go up there again and light some fire under them, then we can …"

„Did Mr. Spencer identify any of these men in his … vision?" Karen talked over him.

Again Lassiter hesitated, clenching his jaw. „No." he said.

„Did he see a plate on the vehicles you can use?"

She could practically see the frustration eating its way through her head detective.

„No."

„Then what other evidence do you have that connects Harris with the kidnapping other that the culprits drove through the same woods where he has his mansion?" Vick demanded to know.

It hurt her that she had to say those words. It was about Shawn after all. But she was still the chief of police and she had to make sure her detectives didn´t forget that either.

„I just know it, chief." Lassiter answered her question, his tone almost pleading.

She kept his gaze for a moment, never giving way. „Well, I´m afraid that´s not enough for a warrant." she told him.

„Chief." Juliet spoke up but Karen raised her hand to stop her.

„I believe you … detective." she assured her. „I really do. I trust your instincts and if you say that there is something about Harris then I want you to find out what it is. But I can´t allow you to go up there and search the mansion. We have to respect the law. And Mr. Harris has the right of privacy just like everybody else."

„Karen, this man has my son." Henry barked.

„Then find something to prove that." she replied not the least impressed by his outburst. „Henry. I want Shawn back as much as you do. But you know the rules. We can´t just storm that house without any base to work on. That´s not how this goes."

„I´ll go up there anyway." the elder Spencer told her stubbornly. „I just bust his door open and demand my son back."

„And you think you will accomplish anything with that?" Karen asked, shaking her head over so much stubbornness. „Do you really think that this man is stupid enough to keep Shawn in his closet, just waiting for you to come up there and find him? A man like Harris is far too slick for that."

This argument at last seemed to have gotten through to Henry and Karen exhaled inwardly.

„If we really want to find Shawn and nail that son of a bitch, we need to be slicker than he is." she went on. „We must beat him at his own game. And we can´t do that by running into his strings."

Henry exhaled visibly to calm himself down. „And what would you have me do?" he wanted to know.

„What every good cop would do." was all she could tell him in this moment. „Find evidence. Find your son and make this guy get caught in his own strings. Catch him." she faced the rest of the group at this. „That is an order that goes to all of you." she said.

It was Lassiter who first found his composure again and straightened his back in determination.

„Yes, chief." he almost barked.

...

The guard held a card against a metallic plate next to the door and the familiar beeping sound came up. Joe Hawkins had heard it many many times, every time when they´d gotten him or his nephew out for one of their tests. The door went open and he could see the isolating material that separated the outside wall from the inside, in order to prevent a break. The rascal might be able to manipulate everything that beeped but only if he could reach it.

Joe stepped inside and the guard closed the door behind him. In the living room (what a joke) his young roommate just hurried away from the TV and sat down on the sofa. Joe frowned.

„What are you doin?" he demanded to know.

„Nothing." his nephew replied. „Just changing the channel."

„That´s what the remote is for."

This time he didn´t get a response and his guess was confirmed.

„I tol´ you not to mess with the TV." he barked down on the teen. „What am I s´poste to do with my ev´nings when you break the damn thing?"

„What do you care what I do?" the boy burst out as well. „I can repair it. Besides I don´t break it."

„And you won´t break either." Joe replied. „Give it up, Micah. Nuthin in this place is connected with anythin outside. They have a special generator out there, just for you. Because they know what you´re doing, Rebel."

„Don´t call me that." Micah shouted, jumping up from the sofa. „You never believed in that anyway."

„Why should I? It only got you in trouble. And it didn´t help us to get outahere either."

„Not yet." the boy replied.

„Stop it." Joe demanded, getting angrier every second. „They´re watching us. They hear what we say."

„So what?"

„You think they´ll just stand by and watch you run away? That is if you get ever past that door."

„I will get past that door." Micah promised grimly.

„And then?" Joe asked. „Huh? What then? They´ll only shoot you like a dog, Micah. Just like your daddy."

„My father died as a hero." Micah shouted. „And so did my Mom."

„Yeah." Joe snorted. „But the bottom line is they are dead. I prefer it to stay alive. So stop fooling around in here."

„What do you care if I get shot?" Micah asked. „Then you have one issue less you need to worry about."

Joe straightened his back and looked down on this stubborn kid before him. This kid of his brother that had thought he could save him even if he´d never asked to be saved. He was naiv, just like his old man. And this naivety had made him think he could reunite the family by coming to him. And what had it brought him? Nothing. It had only gotten him captured along with Joe when these men with the taser guns had showed up. And now, Micah? And now?

„Maybe, you´re right." Joe said at last, tired of this endless discussions that repeated itself over and over again. „Just go ahead. Let them shoot you." He leaned down to look his nephew in the eyes when he added. „And then ask your daddy if he´s proud of you."

Micah didn´t give a response but Joe could see the tears forming in his eyes. After a minute of staring, he just swirled around and marched into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

...

It was quiet just like it had been quiet these last few days. Sylar was still bound to his stretcher, still watched by the guards posted in his cell and outside of it. They didn´t even let him off that thing when he needed to pee. When they´d first tried it, he´d attacked them and they´d needed to taser him. Since then they only freed one hand so he could pee in a bottle. And even then they would never lower their guns watching every one of his movements. But that was okay because he was watching them right back.

Oh, yeah, they were right to be afraid of him. Just wait, he told himself over and over again. Someday you´ll drop your defence. Maybe you´ll be tired after a long day or just bored or you´ll be convinced that I am too weak to do anything to you. And then your eyes will drop and as soon as that happens I will be there, ready to rip the guns out of your hands and the hearts out of your chests. One day. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. But the day will come.

His stomach grumbled and the eyes of the guards looked over at him. Their faces remained like stone, just like always. Yeah, look, Sylar thought. Look as long as you still can. Soon enough he would close their eyes forever. Maybe not today but soon.

A sound from outside distracted him from his sweet thoughts of revenge. The door was opened and one of the guards talked to another one. He threw a glance at Sylar and then nodded at his colleague. Sylar tensed inwardly. What was that supposte to mean?

The guard came up to him, closely followed by the others, who grabbed their guns tighter again.

„You´re allowed to eat something." the man told him and reached for the bounds to open them. „Don´t try anything and this is going to be an easy thing." he demanded.

Sylar didn´t respond. He just watched the man losen his bounds. His face didn´t show any change in his mood but inside his heart was racing with anticipation. Now, he thought. As it seemed the day had come faster than expected. His eyes skimmed the other guards for a moment. It were three of them in this cell and at least three more outside. And he didn´t have his powers. The damn shunt in his head effectively kept them suppressed. But he could still get out of here if he only managed it to grab the guy before him. If he could use him as a shield he could make the others lower their guns and when he was ready, he could kill them one after the other.

He waited until his last bound was gone and he was free to do whatever was necessary. The moment the guard dropped his hands, Sylar hit out for him and rolled down from his stretcher. The man grunted when he was hit in the mouth but didn´t go down. Sylar tried to grab him but his head started to swirl. His legs felt wobbly, weakened by the days he´d spent lying on that damn stretcher and the lack of food he´d suffered.

The guard parried his attack easily and swirled him around. Sylar found himself on the ground, his heart racing and his blood rushing in his ears, his own panting so loud as if a steam engine was in his head. How? How could that happen? He was supposte to kill them. All of them. Instead he lay on the ground, defenceless and pathetic. Weak. He couldn´t be weak. He mustn´t. But he was. They´d counted on that. They´d done that to let him know it. God, he wanted to kill them so badly, wanted to make them pay.

The guards lifted him up and sat him back down on the stretcher, their guns pointing at him, leaving no doubt of the message. Try that again and it won´t be just a fist that hits you. Sylar scowled at them but didn´t do anything. He needed to stay alive if he wanted to kill them. He could hardly take revenge when he was dead. So he satisfied himself for the time being by imagining himself killing them. One day it would come true anyway. One day when he wouldn´t be so weak anymore. He would find a way. Somehow.

„Let him in." one of the guards said eventually, talking to someone outside the cell.

Sylar looked at the door and saw something he hadn´t expected. A skinny boy walked in. He couldn´t be older than seventeen or eighteen. He had long greasy hair that hung into his pale face and a gaze so shy he seemed totally lost standing between all the armed guards. But this impression might cheat.

Sylar watched this guy closely, how he carried that tray of food into his cell, trying to find something that would demask him as one of them. A trick to make him lower his guard. Send in a guy that seems harmless and the culprit will think he has an easy target before him. Maybe someone he can even trust. But Sylar would never trust any of them, no matter what tricks they would come up with and no matter how convincing they disguised their spies.

„Hi." the guy greeted uncertain. His voice was thin and almost broke when he spoke. „I´m Benny. You can call me the kitchen boy."

Sylar looked at this skinny thing before him and couldn´t quiet figure out what to think. The boy´s way of talking reminded him on another boy he´d known a few years ago. Only that this boy hadn´t been that thin. This guy Benny looked as if a small breeze could blow him away. His shoulders were hunched and Sylar believed that he only made it up to eighty pounds when he hung a brimstone around his neck.

„Why?" Sylar demanded to know.

Benny hesitated uncertain. „Because I _am_ the kitchen boy." he said and laughed a goofy laugh.

„No." Sylar replied annoyed with this behavior. „Why do I get food all the sudden?"

The boy´s eyes wandered aside for a moment. „Be-cause you need to eat something?" he offered a possibility.

„They let me starve for three days." Sylar burst out as much as his condition allowed him such a reaction. „And now I´m getting fed? That´s torture to crush the spirit. I know the tactics. You can tell them it won´t work. I´ll still kill them. Tell that your commander."

The boy looked at him for a moment, the uncertainty still in his eyes. „O-kay." he mustered at last. „But … you can eat this anyway." he said gesturing for the food, he´d brought. „Okay?"

When Sylar didn´t answer, he just walked to the small table and put the tray down.

„I … didn´t know what you like." he said. „So I went for the standard this time. If you like something special next time, just give me a word."

Sylar stared at the boy with dark hateful eyes. „Wow." he made. „First starving and now special treatments."

„That´s not special treatment." the boy objected quietly. „I bring everyone what they like if I can."

Once again, the boy shifted uncomfortable under Sylar´s stare. He was a good actor, Sylar had to give him that.

„Who are you?" he demanded to know.

„I told you." Benny answered. „I´m …"

„No." Sylar interrupted him. „What´s your function in here? Everybody here has a function. Everybody carries a gun. You don´t."

„Yeah, that´s because I´m not a guard like these guys." Benny replied pointing at the armed men, who were watching them talk with stony faces. „I´m just kitchen staff." he said. „Assistent … I do everything. General servant. This is not a prison, you see. I … I know it´s not a hotel either." he hurried to add. „But … you know I see it that way … I´m responsible to keep you guys alive with food and all that stuff … no reason to live like a prisoner if you can help it a little."

Sylar didn´t give a response and Benny shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably again.

„So …" he spoke up with this tiny voice of his. „If you like to have something a little more …" He hesitated and looked at the food on the table unsure. „Well." he shrugged. „A little more … more. Let me know. I see what I can do. It´s not much but I´ll do it. Promise."

Sylar still didn´t give a response. Benny lowered his gaze and then just turned around to leave.

„Oh." he cried and turned around one more time. „And … please don´t try to starve yourself to death." he begged. „Some people try that when they first come here. I´ve seen it and … it doesn´t work. They´ll make you eat if you don´t so … don´t do that to yourself. Or to me, ´cause I really do my best to cook something good for you guys." he chuckled but didn´t get a smile in response. „So … yeah." he said. „Don´t do that. Please."

Sylar frowned at the boy but still didn´t say anything. He was still trying to see through that charade. It wasn´t easy. But he was sure it was one. This couldn´t be real. It didn´t make any sense. But this boy really seemed very unsure of himself.

„Enjoy your meal." he said at last and then hurried out of the cell, fleeing Sylar´s intense stare.


	8. Secrets of the Night

**Secrets of the Night**

Molly Walker had been in many serious and ultimately life threatening situations. She´d watched her parents getting brutally murdered by Sylar the serial killer, who she´d called the Boogey man when she´d been nine. That she hadn´t been his victim as well had been pure luck. He´d tried to get to her again and she´d only survived because her hero, Matt Parkman, the police officer who´d found her scared to death and crying in her parent´s house, had chased him off.

Molly had no idea how she would have survived her own childhood if it hadn´t been for that man, that had been like a father for her. But fact is she had survived. She´d survived the Boogey man and she had survived the illness that had threatened her life. A virus that was named after a little Indian girl and that only attacked people with special abilities just like her.

That she´d survived this second threat to her life, she owed to her second hero. Dr. Mohinder Suresh, the brother of said Indian girl that had named this virus. His blood had cured Molly and along with Matt he´d been her family after she´d lost her real parents.

For a while things had looked good but the Boogey man had returned and threatened their lives once again. To protect and hide her, Mohinder had sent her to his mother in India. Molly had protested, she didn´t want to leave him and Matt behind, knowing that Sylar the Boogey man was still out there and after them. But he´d insisted on her safety and so she´d left.

For four years she´d lived with Mama Suresh in Madras. She´d went to school there and had even managed it to live a sort of happy life. After Mohinder had returned and told her that Sylar the Boogey man had died, she´d dared to hope that she would be able to return to America one day. It was her home and she wanted go back there but it had needed some more years to find that way, she´d hoped for. When her teacher had offered the class appliances for exchange programs, she´d signed up for it.

It had been the funniest thing. She, who was actually a born American had signed up to be an exchange student to finally go back to visit an American school. But how it had happened hadn´t mattered for her. She´d been so excited about the chance to finish her school education in her own country, being able to speak her own language again and just to be a normal teenager again.

But fate had once again been cruel to her. The girl that once had lived in fear from a serial killer that had slaughtered her parents, got attacked and kidnapped on a sunny day in the middle of the street, while she was on her way to her dormitory.

No one had come to her rescue, no one had heard her screams. Finally after all these years, Matt hadn´t been there anymore to chase the bad guys away and Mohinder … she hadn´t even known where Mohinder was at the time. She could have found out if she would have wanted. But she´d given a promise once, to Matt and to herself, that she wouldn´t use her powers anymore. But that only meant that she´d been alone when the men with the masks had come to take her.

Molly Walker had been in a lot of serious and ultimately life threatening situations in her short life. But being locked in like she was now had been totally new to her. She´d been awake the whole night, expecting them to come for her again, asking herself why this was happening to her. What these people wanted from her.

They´d explained it to her the next day and of course she´d refused to work with them. She would never do what they wanted from her, no matter how much they threatened to hurt or even kill her. She´d feared for her life enough to be indifferent about it now. These people were no worse than Sylar could have been. Or so she´d thought. And then they´d introduced her to Sofia.

She was about three years younger than Molly and suddenly the threat was not only about her getting hurt. Molly never had had a little sister and she knew very well that Sofia wasn´t related to her. But as soon as she´d seen her, that silent face of this young girl who could heal the deepest wounds and never spoke a word in her life, she´d felt responsible for her. She´d started to cooperate. She´d done their tests. But she´d also started to use her power for something they hadn´t expected. To find a way to get herself and Sofia out of this place.

They might have been able to lock her up but they would never be able to lock up her mind. And unlike so many other prisoners in this world, Molly Walker was not limited to her dreams of freedom. She could leave her prison, that was so neatly decorated like an appartement, just by closing her eyes. In her mind she could go everywhere. She could leave her cell and wander around the house, explore its corridors and every room in it.

She could leave the house and explore the area around it. She knew the woods that surrounded the mansion, she knew about the river that passed it deep down in the ravine and she knew the streets that led away from this prison and into the city, which was some dozen miles away. But she knew where it was and how to get there.

There was a small house at a little lake not too far from here. Only a few miles to walk and she knew that sometimes there were people in this house. But even if no one would be there, there was a phone in this house and if they could make it there, they could call for help. Molly had Matt´s number memorized and she knew that he would never rest until he found her, as soon as he knew she needed him. But to get to that house, she needed to get out. They needed to get out. And there was the problem in her plan. One of so many.

So far she hadn´t been able to tell Sofia her plan. That was the second problem. The appartement was watched and there were hidden microphones everywhere. Molly knew that and so she hadn´t dared to say anything to Sofia. They would have heard and that would spoil everything. If they wanted to have a chance, any chance, no matter how small, they needed to surprise them with their escape attempt.

That was the reason why she didn´t speak about running anymore. Not to Sofia, not to Benny, not to anyone. That was the reason why she´d cooperated so willingly with their tests. She _had_ cooperated. Until Hawk had demanded from her to tell him where Mohinder was. At this she´d refused for the first time in weeks to do what they wanted.

But of course they´d had methods to make her work and when she´d seen Sofia in danger again, she hadn´t had any choice. She´d hated Hawk more than anything in this moment but eventually she´d told them where Mohinder was. She´d used her power to find him, something she hadn´t even done as long as she´d been safe and sound in her school dormitory.

And then the next shock. When she´d found him in her mind, she´d found that he hadn´t been alone. Sylar the killer had been near him and Molly had cried out in fear for his life. Maybe that had been the reason why she´d told Hawk where Mohinder was. Because she´d hoped the men he would send for him would somehow stop Sylar before he could hurt him.

But instead of saving him with that, she´d gotten him killed. She´d constantly searched him in her mind, while the team was out there to tag and bag him. And on a certain point she hadn´t been able to find him anymore. He just hadn´t been anywhere. And when Molly couldn´t find someone, it could only mean one thing. That the person was dead.

On the spur of the moment she´d searched Sylar instead, and she´d found him over Mohinder´s dead body. So no matter what had happened, if it had been Sylar who´d killed him or the men Hawk had sent, Molly had known that she´d been the reason. She´d told them where to find him and now he was dead.

In this night she´d cried for the first time in years, so hard that she´d wished to be dead herself. If Sofia hadn´t been there, she would have died just from the pain, she knew it. But Sofia had been there and she´d kept her alive, just with the touch of her hand, that gently stroke over her hair and her rocking shoulders, while she cried herself to sleep.

The next day Sofia had been gone for a while. When she´d come back she´d saved Molly´s life a second time. She´d written a note for her that told her that Mohinder was alive. That she´d brought him back from the dead. Now Molly´s hope had come to new life as well. Now she could close her eyes and see that Mohinder was in the same building as her. Alive. Now she knew that one of her two heroes had come to save her again. She only needed to be strong.

She´d demanded that they would let her see him but of course they had refused. But that didn´t matter. Sofia´d told her that Mohinder knew she was here and that was all Molly needed to know to keep up hope. Mohinder would find a way to get her out of here. Both of them. Her and Sofia.

Molly lay in her bed and stared into the darkness. She was watching her younger friend even though Sofia wasn´t in the same room with her. Sofia wasn´t even in the appartement. Benny had come here about half an hour ago and took her with him. Hawk´s weekly order. They already knew that drill. But still Molly felt better when she watched them while they were up there. She would never trust Hawk with anything, no matter how friendly he did when he talked to them. And even though she knew that she probably wouldn´t be able to do anything if something should happen to Sofia up there, she just couldn´t help it. She just had to keep an eye on her.

I´ll get you out of here, Sofia, she thought. Mohinder and I, we´ll find a way to get us all out of here.

...

The night was a quiet one. Even the wind outside the house what usually blew strongly around the roof, seemed to be calm tonight. Hawk´s hand lay gently on the back of the little girl when he led her through the corridors of the house. The lights were out and he illuminated the way with a flashlight. Something they both were used to after all these times they´d walked this way by now.

Not that this would mean that the girl trusted him or that she wasn´t scared. But it meant that she knew the drill and he could be sure that she wouldn´t try to run. So he didn´t need to hold her arm in his firm grip anymore, the way he´d done it the first few times. By now she knew that he didn´t need to do that to catch her again, if she tried something. By now she walked this way with him almost like one of his men, who was trained to get through with a business as fast as possible and Hawk almost felt a ridiculous sort of fatherly pride.

But that was something he mustn´t allow. He was not her father. He was the father of the kid sleeping in the room at the end of this corridor.

They reached the door and he opened it quietly. Sofia walked over to the bed of the sleeping child all on her own. She knew what was expected of her but she still waited for Hawk to stand by her side, before she sighed and reached a hand down and caressed the little head of the child. Just one time. Her hand stroke through Danny´s hair. And that was it. She lay her hands back on the frame of the bed and looked down on the little boy. For a minute the two of them just stood there and watched the boy sleep. As if Sofia truly was a part of the family and they´d come here late at night to check on him together.

But she was no part of the family and they didn´t just check on him. They were making sure his condition would improve. Little by little they´d made sure of it over the course of these last weeks. Hawk knew Sofia could have healed his son´s handicap instantly, all at once but he also knew that this would only cause more trouble. People just didn´t believe in miraculous healings and Amanda would have been scared to death too, no matter how happy she would have been about their Danny´s recovery.

So Hawk had decided to let it happen slowly instead. Just a little at a time. Every week he brought Sofia to Danny´s bed and let her cares his head exactly one time, instructing her to do it carefully and dosed. And it worked. One day his son would be as healthy as every other child in the world. One day.

He sighed and slightly touched Sofia´s shoulder to indicate that they had to leave now. The girl didn´t even look up at him but just turned around and walked to the door. Hawk halted one more time to look back at the bed of his sleeping son. Then he closed the door soundlessly.

He walked Sofia back to the hidden elevator in his library and handed her over to Benny, the friendly servant, to let him bring her back to her room. It was a mystery to Hawk how this guy was able to handle the kids (but also the adults they kept) so much better than any gun could do it. No one had ever tried to run when he was around.

Sweet Benny. His secret weapon. God, what a joke. But as long as he did his job, Hawk didn´t care.

After the elevator was gone and covered again, Hawk made his way back into his office.

For a while he just sat there in his chair and looked out of the window. It had been a tough week. First Roth, then the killer and the scientist and especially the psychic, who was still not providing them with any results. Even putting him in a room with Sandy, one of their most special individuals, hadn´t brought anything.

...

Sandy was what Olson had called a life eater. She was able to drain energy from a person just by being close to him. When they´d captured her she´d been scared, she´d tried to negotiate with them. But when the guards had tried to force her into her cell physically, she´d resisted with more than words. This young woman, as fragile as she might look, had suddenly revealed an amazing strength. Her grip had actually broken the wrist of one of Hawk´s men. The reason for her strength was the energy she´d drained from him.

After she´d hurt this one man, she´d skipped back in shock. That was the only reason why they´d been able to contain her. Because she hadn´t wanted to hurt someone. But that had been at the beginning of her captivity. Now months of tests later, she´d changed her policy about that. By now it was not possible to let someone be in a room with her without having to worry that she would drain all the energy from that person. Sandy´s eyes had gotten harder every week and after all that time, not even Benny had been able to get through to her anymore.

She was angry. She wanted to get out and she knew exactly how to do that. Unfortunately they still needed her to figure out this secret they were looking for. And so she had to stay.

Doing tests with her was hard work since no one could ever come close to her anymore. Not if he wanted to keep living. To not to lose any of his men, Hawk had figured out a way to bring her from her appartement-cell to the test rooms, without having to approach her physically. A system of loudspeakers and remotes for the locks on the doors had made it possible. Sandy knew about the spring guns that could take her down if she should try to run, so she complied.

For months no other human being had been around her. After all that time her strength was that of a normal human again. And to let her into a room with Shawn Spencer had been pure desperation from Hawk´s side.

Sandy could drain energy but she could also localize it. If the psychic refused to find the source of his ability himself, someone else had to do that for him. That at least had been the plan.

But like so often in life things had turned out differently.

As soon as Sandy had entered the room with the psychic in it, she´d realized that she had someone before her, who was a victim just like herself. She´d reacted startled and suspicious but she´d not sucked on his energy right away, like she would have done if it had been one of the guards.

Spencer´s reaction had been pretty obvious too, even if it was only because of the machines he was hooked to. The line of his heart rate had sped up the longer he was confronted with her silent stare. Sandy had frowned and he´d chuckled nervously.

„Don´t pay attention to that." he´d said, pointing at the machine. „That´s just because you look so dashingly … good."

Sandy had smiled a little but that hadn´t really made her face look softer.

„Who are you?" she´d asked.

„Shawn." had been his nervous answer. „Spencer. I´m er … I´m a psychic."

„Why did they send me to you?" Sandy had demanded to know and then she´d turned to the two way mirror and shouted: „What is this, Hawk? You want me to kill him or what?"

„Kill me?" Spencer had repeated and skipped back a little in his chair.

Sandy had looked at him and her hard gaze had been on him for quiet a while. Hawk had almost believed it to work then. That was exactly the gaze she´d had when she´d drained energy from his men. But Spencer hadn´t shown any sign of weakening. Only confusion and careful fear. At last Sandy had shook her head and turned around to the door.

„I´m not doing it." she´d stated and when the door refused to open for her, she´d shouted again: „You hear me, Hawk? I´m not doing it! Let me out."

Hawk had sighed and pushed the speaker button.

„You´ll stay a little longer, Sandy." he´d said. „Just sit down. We only want you to help us find the button that needs to be pushed to activate his ability."

„How am I supposte to do that?" she´d demanded to know.

„Yeah." Spencer had agreed. „How is she supposte to do that? Seriously. What did you mean with … killing me? What is it you can do? Are you …" he gulped. „Are you a … whatisitcalled? When someone just looks at someone and kills him with his thoughts?" His voice had gone higher while he was talking and he sat behind the table in a very tensed state. „Is it that?" he asked.

Sandy only looked at him, a tiny smile playing on her lips. She was enjoying this. To see him being so afraid of her. It was amusing her. Hawk had known that. That was the reason why he´d put her in that room with him, despite his reservations.

At last she´d sighed and sat down. Spencer still tensed and afraid of her, had skipped back again. When nothing else happened, he´d relaxed a bit.

„So …" he´d started. „You ehm … you´re not going to kill me?"

Sandy´s smile had been a kind one. „No." she´d said.

„Good." Spencer had exclaimed. „That´s … that´s good. So ehm … what exactly is it you can do? Is it …?"

„You don´t want to know that." she´d talked over him and that had silenced him for a minute.

„All right." he´d said at last. „But … why are you here then? Why is she here? To … find my button? Well, I´m afraid I have to disappoint you then. I don´t think that there is any button."

„Everybody has one." Sandy objected before Hawk had needed to say anything. „They want me to find yours. Psychic, huh? Can you tell me my future then?"

„Why does everybody think that?" Spencer had cried. „I don´t tell the future. That would be a medium. Like in Dead Zone. I´m a psychic. I sense things."

„So do I." Sandy had replied. „I also sense things. Like now I sense your fear. You´re very scared of me."

„I´m not." Spencer had claimed but Sandy had only raised a brow at him. She wouldn´t have needed his heart rate to know that he was lying.

„I´m … just nervous." Spencer had told her. „I´m being hold captive here after all. And that´s a crime in case you didn´t know that." he´d added, shouting at the two way mirror.

But Hawk had not given any answer. He´d just kept watching the conversation between those two specials, waiting, hoping for any kind of result.

Spencer had started to divine something again, had found that Sandy had been working in a call center before she got captured and that had been right. For Hawk this sounded convincing enough to believe he´d had an episode, but Ashton insisted that it was a fake once again. The region of Spencer´s brain that glowed on his screen was supposte to be for observation and so it had to be faked.

How, Hawk had wondered? How was he doing this? If he was a psychic, why did he need to fake visions?

„Maybe he´s a fraud after all." he´d mused but once again, Ashton had objected. He had to be a psychic. He´d worked for the police for over six years. His visions had solved uncountable cases of murder. This man had to have an ability. They just needed to find out how to activate it.

But obviously Sandy wasn´t providing any activation. So Hawk had sent her out again, letting her walk back to her own appartement via loudspeaker, and had visited Spencer in the interrogation room.

„Slowly I start to lose my patience." he´d told him, more than just angry. When there was one thing he couldn´t stand then it was when someone tried to fool him. And this psychic had tried to fool him twice by now.

Spencer had sensed that the fun was over with Hawk and had skipped back again.

„You just wasted your last chance, Mr. Spencer." Hawk had told him. „We´ll find other ways to make you value for us."

He´d waved for the corporal and Garth had come in with the syringe of sedativa, ready to use it on the psychic. Spencer´d started to whine and struggle immediately.

„No." he´d cried and pressed himself in the corner until he couldn´t skip back anymore. The guard held his arm forward, presenting the vein to Garth to inject him. „No." Spencer´d kept crying. „Don´t do this. I don´t like needles. No, wait. I can … I can do it. Just give me another chance. Please, don´t dissect me, I can do it."

Hawk had just waved for the men to hurry and get over with it, but in this moment Ashton´s voice had been in his ear, calling him excitedly over his earwig. The way it looked like, his instruments had suddenly shown a difference in the brainwaves. Hawk had demanded to wait and went back to have a look at it. What he´d seen hadn´t told him anything, but even he had been able to see that there was a change indeed. A totally different part of the psychic´s brain had started to glow and this time it wasn´t the region for perception.

„What does that mean?" Hawk had demanded to know.

„It started when he saw that you meant business." Ashton had replied. „When he got scared. Really scared. Not just nervous like he was with Sandy. This time he was scared for his life."

„It´s just sedativa." Hawk had pointed out but Ashton shook his head.

„I don´t think he knew that."

Hawk had looked into the other room, where the psychic was still in the iron grip of the guard, his eyes on the syringe in the other man´s hand. His gaze was wary and very aware of that needle. Hawk had seen gazes like that. It was the same gaze he´d seen on men with traumatic shocks. This guy was either really not fond of needles in general or he had a very bad experience with an injection earlier in his life.

Goddammit. Ashton was right. This man had been scared for his life just now. And with that they had unknowingly found the button they´d been looking for.

„You think he had a vision right now?" he´d asked Ashton.

„Maybe. Or maybe he was close to have one."

„He said, don´t dissect me. How could he know that this is even an option if not through a vision?"

„Quiet possible." Ashton had agreed.

„Then what do we do now? Scare him to death to make his brain waver in rainbow colors?"

„Something like that." had been Ashton´s dry response. „Maybe it is fear that drives his brain up to the levels he needs to have his visions. Or danger, or adrenalin in general. He is known to be kinda reckless. Always seemed to seek the danger while working those murder cases."

„You think he did this on purpose? To make his visions come to him?"

„I don´t know. But we should at least test it. Don´t you think?"

Hawk had agreed. And now they were actually thinking about ways to scare the living shit out of this stubborn psychic. What an idea. But the only one they had so far. Tomorrow they would start the new test series.

...

Hawk stretched himself. This suggestion of Ashton, he´d agreed to, was surely one of the more unorthodox ways to find an answer to his questions. But no matter how weird it seemed, what Ashton had said made actually sense. Tomorrow would show how much more results his idea would provide.

The Commander stood up from his desk and left the office, to finally go to bed. In the hallway someone came his way and he was already in the process of reproving the guard for sneaking around in the house where he had his poste outside. But then the figure spoke up.

„David?" his wife asked with a sleepy voice.

„Amy." he switched on the light and she squinted. „What are you doing out here?" he asked. „I thought you were in bed."

„I thought I heard a sound." she told him. „Why are you still up? Is everything all right?"

„Sure. I was … just working late."

„Is it because of Roth?" she asked at once. „Did the police call you again? You wouldn´t keep anything like that from me, would you?"

„Amy." he cried scandalized. „Why should I do that?"

„So I wouldn´t worry." she answered without hesitation. „You used to do that. And don´t tell me that you didn´t, because I know better."

Hawk held the accusing gaze of his wife for at least a minute. At last he smiled apologetic.

„I know." he said. „But believe me when I tell you, the police didn´t call me again. They are investigating other things. And obviously they don´t need my help for this."

Amanda looked at him estimating. But years of marriage and build up trust eventually made her drop the subject. She smiled, her eyes dropping down for a moment. If it hadn´t been for her frown Hawk wouldn´t have noticed himself that his hand had been on his collar again, searching the insignia that wasn´t there anymore. Amy lay a hand over his.

„You still didn´t find it?" she asked.

He sighed. „No."

She gave him a sympathetic face. „I´m sure it´s lying around here somewhere."

„No." he denied. „I think I lost it somewhere else. When I was out. It´s gone."

„I´m sorry. I know it meant a lot to you. But the soldier you were is not limited to your rank insignia, you know that."

Hawk sighed. „I know. It´s just … I was so used to it being there. It was my talisman."

„I know. But you have still two other talismans left."

Hawk smiled warmly at his wife. „I know." he said and kissed her softly.

„Come to bed." she said. „It´s late."

...

It was night. Sylar was still strapped to his stretcher. They wouldn´t let him walk around unwatched, not as long as they had to fear that he would rip them apart. And he would, even if they pumped these damn drugs up his brain until he saw pink elephants. Oh, yes, he would break their necks with his bare hands if necessary. He wouldn´t need his powers for that. The rage he felt just by thinking of them would do the trick, giving him enough strength to accomplish that mission. What had happened last time would never happen again. Next time he would be prepared.

Sylar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had no idea what time it was but it had to be very late by now. He hadn´t been able to sleep, maybe had even feared it, scared of the dreams that might come with the sleep. Dreams he didn´t want to dream but he knew would come without mercy. If he wasn´t able to keep the pictures away just by closing his eyes for a moment – the way he did it now – how was he supposte to stop them from coming when he was asleep?

He knew it was probably stupid to know all this and still close his eyes. But still he couldn´t help. These pictures were cruel and hurting but somehow he needed to see them again and again anyway. To remind himself. To remember what he had to do. Why he had to survive in here and to get out. To kill them. To make them pay.

It was only at this time at night, when the conscious mind was wandering and the bridge between dream and reality was so vague that it was hard to tell the difference, when he felt the grief was stronger than his hate. When he saw the street swirling around before his eyes again, when he heard the glass shatter and when he found himself lying on the street, the car turned over a few dozen feet away from him. Mohinder´s face with the blood on his temple and the closed eyes that would stay closed no matter what he tried. The hollow crack when he moved his head. He could even feel the neck moving under his fingers again.

Sylar closed his fist and willed the sensation away. He had to focus. Pain was not helping him to get out of here. Pain would not make them pay. Only hate would. Hate would give him the strength that he needed. It would carry him through this. It would keep him focused on his target. Hawk. And all his men who he would meet on the way. They would all die. Die for what they´d done. He would spare none of them. Not one. And after he´d killed Hawk he would go away. Somewhere where no human being could ever cross his way again. Because he was a killer and no one would be save in his presence. Not anymore.

There had been a time when he´d thought he could change. But this hope was dead. They´d killed it. And now there was only one thing left for him to do.

Sylar opened his eyes again and stared into the darkness of his cell. Hate, he reminded himself. Punishment. Justice. That´s what all this came down to. Justice for murder brought upon them by a murderer. How ironic fate could be. Ironic and cruel. So cruel.

But he could be cruel too. And he would reach deeply into his repertoire just for them.


	9. Testing

**Testing**

Mohinder Suresh threw a casual glance at the guard at the door. The man looked back at him with a wary gaze and Mohinder trained his eyes back on the test tube before him. For days he was working in this lab now, constantly watched by these gorillas that never answered to anything he said, even if it was just a simple comment. Slowly he´d started to believe that they were unable to talk. But that couldn´t be because when he tried to pass them, they could state very clearly that he wasn´t allowed to leave the place without permission.

It was ridiculous. More than that, it was frustrating, to know that he could break their bones easily with one hand if he wanted to. But he couldn´t. Mustn´t. For Molly´s sake. So he obeyed. Kept quiet. And did what they wanted him to do with these … tests.

He shook his head. The whole thing he was supposte to do here, was meant to fail, no matter what Hawk demanded from him. With only a few blood samples to work with he couldn´t do anything, especially since he´d done so much more already with the same result. They´d brought him test samples over test samples, all of them frozen and preserved for him as they´d told him. All of it stolen from the body of the late Nobody as he´d learned. The body itself didn´t exist any longer but they´d preserved enough parts of it for Mohinder to work with. Organs. Blood samples. Spinal fluid. Even bones and the respective marrow in it.

Mohinder touched his right arm, where Nobody had burned him on that hot hose five months ago. The skin where the skars had been was smooth again, healed when little Sofia had brought him back to life. It was a strange feeling to know that something he´d considered permanent was now gone as if it had never been there. But on the other hand, he´d experienced stranger things.

He turned back to his samples. Even though he didn´t like it but he had to admit that all those precautions Hawk and his men had done here were impressive. But the work he was forced to do with these samples reminded him too much of an autopsie he´d done years ago, on a man that had died because of his insane research for a serum to give people abilities. He´d seen where this kind of insanity could lead and he knew that these people wouldn´t do better just because they were better organized than he´d been.

He threw a glance at the latest sample they´d brought him. A brain for god´s sake. A brain. When he´d asked whose brain it was, Hawk had told him without the slightest hint of a change in his features, that it was Roth´s.

„Should be a pleasure for you to dismantle it." he´d said. „After what he made you go through that night in Durham Street."

Mohinder hadn´t commented that. He´d only mentioned that Sylar was the expert when it came to localize abilities in a brain. That had been his first attempt to get access to Sylar´s cell. But of course Hawk had refused. They were not looking for the ability itself but for a way to replicate it and that was something he could do on his own.

Mohinder had tried to convince Hawk that this wasn´t the case, that Sylar would be a great asset when it came to the work he was supposte to do. That he´d worked good with him in C.E.R.N. and that they could benefit from this if they only allowed it. But the result of his arguments remained the same. Hawk would never allow him to even come close to the cell in which they held the killer, probably knowing very well that every escape attempt started when prisoners were allowed to communicate and exchange information.

It was strange and a pure joke that Mohinder´s priority, right after getting Molly out of this place, was it to somehow get to Sylar. After he´d worked so many years to get him into a cell like this so he would be safely locked away, all his thoughts were set to this one target, to get him out of it again. But the reason for that was quiet simple. Sylar was the only one who could actually help him to get Molly and all the others free.

All of these people who were imprisoned here, most of them friends of him. Molly, of course and her young friend Sofia. Micah Sanders and his uncle Joe, which Mohinder had never heard of before but who was here nonetheless. Shawn Spencer, who didn´t even have an ability. A young woman named Sandy Morrigan that was supposte to have the ability to gain strength by taking energy from others. They all were relying on him to get them out of here.

But alone he couldn´t do anything. He needed Sylar´s help. But as long as he couldn´t talk to him – or anyone else – he was alone.

He hadn´t been inactive though. He´d found out where they were. At least that much. And when he´d heard the name of the city, his hope had gotten stronger again. Santa Barbara meant that there was help not too far away. He only needed to figure out a way to contact them. Fortunately he wasn´t completely alone in this mess.

At least someone was here, that he considered to be trustworthy. The young man they´d assigned to assist him with his work. Benny. He was quiet and shy and he seemed to be a servant that got ordered around a lot. People like that were easy to convince, especially when they were as empathizing as Benny. Mohinder threw a glance at the guard again and then over at Benny, who was busy cleaning the tools he´d been working with earlier.

„You never told me how you came here." Mohinder mentioned to start a conversation that had to sound casual to the guard at the door.

Benny looked at him surprised for a moment and then shrugged.

„Family tradition you could say." he answered. „My dad worked for the Roths since I was a kid and I grew up in this place. I barely was anywhere else. Ever."

„I could need your help here." Mohinder said and rearranged his microscope again. „Would you mind?"

Benny came over to him and did what the geneticist asked him to do willingly. Mohinder kept working on his samples, making sure to stand close to Benny. When he was sure the guard didn´t pay much attention to them, he addressed the young man in a whisper tone.

„Could you do me a favour?" he asked Benny.

„Sure." the young man answered.

„I need you to contact someone for me. His name is Noah Bennet. He lives right here in …"

„I can´t do that." Benny interrupted him shocked. „They wouldn´t like that."

„I know it´s a risk." Mohinder kept talking, constantly checking if the guard was listening to them. He didn´t. „But you´re the only one I can ask." he told Benny. „When you go home this evening …"

„I live here." Benny replied and made Mohinder halt in confusion.

„On the mansion?"

„Yes."

„But you can go to the city."

„Ehm … not … really." was the uncertain answer.

„They don´t allow you to leave the mansion?" Mohinder couldn´t believe it. This man worked for them. He wasn´t a prisoner like him. Or so he´d thought.

„It´s nothing bad." Benny shrugged. „I live good here."

„But … that´s deprivation of liberty." Mohinder cried and had to remind himself to keep his voice down. „You´re a prisoner like me."

„I´m not a prisoner." Benny objected. „I work for them."

„You´re not allowed to leave the mansion. What would you call me if not a prisoner?"

„You work for them too."

„Because they threaten to hurt people that I care about. I don´t work for them. I´m a hostage and so are you. We have to work together if we ever want to get out of here."

„Your friends are …"

„My friends are even worse than hostages." Mohinder hissed, angry. „They´re lab rats, nothing more. What these people do is wrong and you know it."

„Mr. Harris is not a bad guy." Benny assured him. „Not really. He is a little rough sometimes but he has only the world´s best interest in mind."

„He´s torturing people." Mohinder emphasized.

„I know." Benny replied and lowered his gaze in shame. „But he says it´s just because it´s necessary. And if you don´t stop talking like that, he´ll think it necessary for you too."

„He won´t dare to kill me." Mohinder replied. „He brought me back from the dead, that means he needs me."

„You´re right." Benny agreed quietly. „He won´t kill you. But he can hurt you. Really bad. Believe me. I know."

Mohinder looked up into the pale face of this young man for a moment. It was a hurtful sight. He was the same size as Mohinder and still he seemed so much smaller. How long must he be in this position, the geneticist wondered? Imprisoned without even realising it. Or maybe he did realize it and was just too scared to admit it.

„Listen." he tried it again. „I know you´re scared. But …"

The door was opened and Mohinder stopped in mid sentence, focusing on his work again. Next to him Benny did the same, busying himself with the lab equipment. Hawk and his man walked up to them, placing themselves in the room so Mohinder had no other choice but to acknowledge their presence.

„What is it?" he asked Hawk.

„I´d like you to do another test, doctor. The boy this time."

„Sure." Mohinder replied with a nonchalant shrug. „Let me take another sample from him."

„Corporal Garth will do that." Hawk replied, glancing at the man next to him.

He´d collected the blood samples from the prisoners last time as well but looking at him, Mohinder doubted that the man was very gentle with the needles. He didn´t even want to imagine how he´d treated Molly and her younger friend, when he´d taken the blood from them.

Mohinder sighed and took a syringe out of the shelf. At least Micah was a brave boy.

„Not that one, doctor." Hawk said. „It´s not blood we want you to look at."

Mohinder needed a moment to understand what Hawk was talking about.

„It really would help my research if you would let me work with my test subjects directly." he tried it once again, barely able to keep himself from stuttering. „Let me take that sample from him. Nothing against your people but I doubt that he´s very gentle with this equipment."

„Garth can handle that." Hawk replied unimpressed. „Don´t worry, doctor. You just focus on your research in here."

„He´s a boy, for god´s sake." Mohinder cried.

„The syringe, doctor." Hawk demanded adamantine.

Mohinder clenched his jaw but eventually handed the long needle over that would be used to extract Micah Sander´s spinal fluid. Just thinking of the pain it would cause the boy, made Mohinder feel sick. Garth just took the syringe and turned around with a smirk on his face. Mohinder felt the urge to wipe that grin out of his face but Hawk´s stare reminded him of the fact that he was a prisoner that could get shot any time if he moved the wrong way.

The Commander held Mohinder´s gaze for another minute, then he turned around and left the lab again.

„See?" Benny spoke up with his tiny voice. „It´s not a good idea to challenge him."

...

When the door to the appartement-cell of Joe Hawkins and his nephew was opened, Joe was sitting on the couch, watching TV, the volume extra loud to get the words of his nephew out of his head. The stubborn stupid had once again blamed him for not acting as stupid as he wanted him to act, and he just couldn´t have that anymore. Why couldn´t he just understand that Joe wanted to stay alive if possible?

They´d all seen how badly an escape attempt could end. That woman that had been able to control wind had died of two dozen bullets in her chest when she´d tried to run. But not even that had taught Micah a lesson. He´d only kept talking about how it was their responsibility to get out of here and find help, especially after those other less fortunate ones had died.

Joe huffed under his breath. Stupid. The boy was sixteen and he was still acting like an overidealistic kid. But not with him. He would get those silly ideas out of his head, simply by ignoring him as stubbornly as he tried to talk him into those crazy things. Should he try to convince him. He didn´t need to listen. He was sane.

He met his nephew´s gaze over the length of the room and the guy was looking as pissed as Joe felt. And then the door opened and Micah jumped. But so did Joe. That wasn´t the usual time for a test on either of them and that could only mean trouble.

Joe stood up. It was Garth who walked in, accompanied by two guards just like the last few times. Joe relaxed. So that was it.

„Another blood sample?" he asked. „Who d´you want?"

„The boy." Garth answered. „But it´s not blood I need."

Joe frowned, not sure what the guy meant. But then Garth showed him the long needle on the big syringe and his head jerked around to his nephew. Micah´s eyes had gone wide at the sight, his posture visible tensed.

„Wait a sec." Joe demanded. „Where the hell you wanna go withat thing?"

„Is that a serious question?" Garth asked, already turning to the guards. „Hold him." he ordered.

The two men went over to Micah. The boy tried to get away but was grabbed mercilessly before he had a chance to duck. When he struggled, he got forced down to his knees. Joe stepped forward.

„Hey!" he cried angrily. „That´s enough."

The second guard aimed his gun at him, stopping Joe dead in his tracks.

„You wouldn´t want us to use those things, do you, Mr. Hawkins?" Garth asked.

„You won´t stick that thing into ma nephew." Joe shouted. „You got me?"

„Oh, I will." Garth assured him. „And you better not get in the way, or Sofia gets a new test. After a day or two."

Joe clenched his jaw. Oh, how much he wanted to pummel that guy. But they had the guns and he only had that squirming boy to look after. When he looked into Micah´s eyes, he could see, almost feel, that the kid was scared. Still he was trying not to be, to not to give in.

God, Joe hated this guy Garth. He´d always hated him. For his arrogance and his ruthless behavior. He hated him as much as he hated Hawk and this guy Ashton, which he´d never seen personally but he knew had to be an asshole no less.

And he hated the fact that they had power over them.

At last Joe made himself stand still, his arms passively at his sides.

„Good decision." Garth praised. „Sit him down." he ordered the guard and the man dragged Micah back to the table.

Joe hurried after them, taking a seat opposite of his nephew. The boy´s eyes met his and Joe could see that he was close to cry, that he was only holding it back, to not to give them the satisfaction. But even a stubborn kid like Micah could not help but be human. When he heard Garth´s steps closing in on him, he tensed and squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating the pain that would come any moment now.

Joe reached over the table and lay his hands over Micah´s. The boy immediately clung to him in his fear and when the pain finally came, his nails were digging into Joe´s skin. Micah screamed.

...

Shawn pulled on the straps that held him in this chair, but the damn things just wouldn´t give way, not even the slightest bit. One of the wires that hung from his head, got caught on his nose and he blew it away. Man that was annoying. What the hell were they thinking this would do to his psychic vibes, when they bound him to this chair?

„I must say your idea of free research is not striking me as well planned." he called into the empty room. „The spirits are not talking better when I´m bound." He chuckled. „What, you think that way I can´t run away from them? Why should I even try that? They´re talking to me after all."

He ripped on the straps again, with the same result. The chair was moving a bit but not his straps.

„Honestly, this is ridiculous." he shouted. „What are you trying to prove with that?"

The door was opened and a man with a gun walked in. Shawn tensed, but kept reminding himself of the fact that they wanted to test him, not to shoot him. This guy was probably just here to scare him into being quiet. But after being threatened to get shot by Lassie for all these years, Shawn was hardly impressed by the gun.

„And now?" he asked.

The guy cocked his gun and aimed it at him. Shawn skipped back in his chair, tensing. Was this guy for real?

„Wow, wow, wow." he cried. „Slow down. Easy, big guy. I didn´t mean it. Okay, maybe this whole thing isn´t as ridiculous as it seemed to me. I´m new to this after all. But I´m still confused, maybe if someone would explain to me what is expected from me, I could be of much more value for you. I mean, seriously. Would you know what to do if no one told you what they want you to do? That doesn´t make any sense. And I already stated a few times that I can´t read minds." he added a little louder for the people behind the two way mirror. „So I can´t get to the answer myself. Okay? I really suck a taking guesses. Ask my dad. Or Gus. I´m great at twenty questions but when I can´t ask anyone, how am I supposte to get an answer? You have to admit that really doesn´t serve the purpose."

„Do you never stop talking?" the man with the gun asked him.

„I`m trying to communicate." Shawn replied. „You see? That´s the best thing to do in a life threatening situation like that. Believe me, I´ve been in hostage situations a couple of times and talking to one another is really the best thing in the world, because people start to listen to each other and …"

„Let me do us all a favour and just shoot the guy." the man spoke to the two way mirror.

„See? You´re tensed." Shawn said. „You wouldn´t be if we could just sit down and …"

„All right." Hawk´s voice came from the loudspeaker. „Shoot him."

„WHAT!?" Shawn cried but before he could ask if Hawk was serious with that, the shot rang out and he felt a hot and sharp pain in his shoulder.

He doubled over and held his breath against the pain. Next to him the machines started to beep hysterically when his heartbeat increased exponentially. The side of his shirt started to feel wet and when he opened his eyes he saw the red liquid wandering down on him.

„You shot me." he cried. „Are you crazy? Why would you do that?"

The guard just came closer and held the gun to his head.

„All right, all right." Shawn cried, looking into the muzzle. „I get it, I´m quiet. You won´t hear me say another word, promise. See?" He squinted against the pain and groaned. „The problem is that this shot wound just forces my mouth open without me wanting it. Sorry ´bout that." He bowed forward, gritting his teeth, panting. „Really sorry." he repeated. „But you see … it´s not really my decision. God, I …"

„Permission to shoot him for good." the guard asked out loud.

„Wait." Shawn pressed out. „Okay? You can´t do that. I mean … you guys wanted to study me? How could you do that when you shoot me? That wouldn´t bring you any results."

„Wanna bet?" the guard asked.

Shawn saw the look in the guy´s eyes and got a bad feeling.

„Yeah." he said nevertheless. „Because … a near death experience is only helpful when the guy can tell it later on. And I can hardly tell it when I´m dead, can I? Except you would have someone here that can do a seance. And since I don´t believe that you have a medium in your staff …" He shook his head. „Besides. Those whole near death experience thing is overrated, believe me. I´ve been there before and I can assure you that there is nothing that gives you a spiritual illumination. It´s pretty much nothing. Except for the pain … and the darkness."

„Sir?" the guard addressed the two way mirror again, waiting for his order to shoot again.

Shawn tensed. This time he did keep his mouth shut. He´d seen that these guys were serious and maybe it wasn´t helping him anymore to talk on and on. Distraction didn´t seem to be an issue for these guys.

...

Outside of the room, Hawk was thinking about the whole situation in a quiet similar way. Only that his interest was not to keep Shawn Spencer from any more harm. His thoughts were still circling around the possible ways of luring the guy´s ability out. Threatening him hadn´t done anything to change his brainwaves and shooting him had only caused a few other areas to glow, according to Ashton a normal reaction to the pain he felt and maybe the shock. But nothing really valuable for what they tried to find.

„This isn´t gonna work." he mumbled frustrated.

„Maybe something´s missing in there." Ashton spoke up next to him. „Last time Sandy had been there to scare him. Maybe she did the trick back then."

„She was already gone when it happened." Hawk argued.

„But she _was_ there." Ashton insisted. „Maybe it was just coincidence but we´re not getting anywhere with this either. We should at least try it, don´t you think?"

Hawk looked into the room on the other side, at the bleeding psychic and the Sergant with the gun still aiming at him, waiting for the order. Hawk sighed.

„All right." he said. „We´ll do it." He pressed the speaker button again. „Soldier. Leave the room."

Ashton tapped him at the arm and Hawk released the button again.

„Let them bring a drone in there." the analyst said. „We should still focus on shooting him."

Hawk thought this through and then nodded. That was probably the best thing to do. As soon as Sandy was in that room with Spencer, no one would be able to threat the psychic with a gun anymore. But doing so had been the plan from the start and just because of this variation, Ashton had just come up with, didn´t mean that the plan was off the table.

Hawk gave the orders and barely twenty minutes later, everything was set and the psychic eyed the new device in the room with a wary gaze. He also kept crying for some medical attention, but that was something that would have to wait. Right now the most important thing was it to guide Sandy to his room.

Hawk didn´t quiet like the whole thing though. Not just because it had been Ashton´s suggestion but something about idea of using Sandy Morrigan to get the ability of another special to work, seemed dangerous to him. They had no idea how much power Sandy could draw from a normal person but if she got the idea to do that with a special …

In the beginning, when it had been possible to work with Sandy directly, it had been difficult already. No one could work with her over a longer period of time. She was just draining too much energy out of them on a seemingly constant base. The people doing the tests with her had to be replaced after a few days, so she wouldn´t suck them out completely.

Ashton had once mentioned his interest in this phenomenon. He said he would like to see what would happen to a man if they wouldn´t exchange him and allow Sandy to draw all his energy. What would become of such a man? A zombi-like creature with no soul of his own left? Or would he just die from weakness? Hawk didn´t know and he didn´t want to know. Not really. Those were his men after all and he wouldn´t sacrifice them for the sake of Ashton´s sick curiosity.

Besides. Sandy had discovered the full potential of her ability – if it even was the full potential yet – only through their very own experiments. Hadn´t they done those tests with her, maybe she´d never found out how much energy she could drain in the first place. They´d practically given her the weapon she could use against them. But those were things he couldn´t change anymore. What he still could control was how much energy he allowed to get into her reach. Who knew how much strength she could gain by draining the energy of another special.

But unfortunately Ashton was right. If she really was the missing part that could lure Shawn Spencer´s ability out, they at least had to try. Fortunately she hadn´t tried to drain Spencer´s energy last time – something that had never happened before – and so Hawk could keep up hope that she wouldn´t do it this time either.

At last Sandy reached the door to Shawn Spencer and opened it, following Hawk´s instructions via loudspeaker with a totally stoic face. But that stony facade was gone instantly when she saw the bleeding man sitting in front of her. The door behind her closed with a loud snap and Sandy actually flinched at the impact. Hawk almost couldn´t believe it. He hadn´t seen her flinch in a very long time.

Sandy swirled around and spotted the little robot with the automatic gun on top of it.

„What the hell is that?" she cried, almost scandalized. „What are you doing, Hawk? You sick bastard."

„Don´t worry about him, Sandy." Hawk told her over intercom. „Just … stand there. Leave the rest to us."

„What rest?" Shawn cried, panting. „Seriously, dude. This isn´t funny anymore. Don´t listen to him, Sandy. You can help me. Losing my straps would be a good start, because … I think staying here is not a good idea with that thing pointing at me. They already shot me once."

Sandy regarded the psychic with an uncertain gaze. Her eyes went back to the robot, thinking.

„This isn´t gonna work." Hawk told Ashton but the other man didn´t seem to think it necessary to react. „Look at her, she´s hardly frightening him." he pointed out. Damn he should have never allowed that.

„She will." Ashton insisted.

„And she could start to drain his energy. You have any idea what that would mean?"

„Don´t worry." Ashton said and moved his hand to the remote that controlled the robot.

„Come on, Sandy." Spencer kept talking to her in the other room. „You are a prisoner just like me. We´ve got to help each other."

Hawk could see the change in her eyes. Sandy was confused. As if her brain needed time to compute. No one had talked to her like that in quiet a while. This had to be totally confusing for her. Hawk shook his head.

„I´m breaking up." he stated. „That was a stupid idea."

„Wait." Ashton demanded, his eyes fixed on the two people in the other room, his thumb hovering over the button that would shoot the gun on the robot.

„What do you want to do?" Hawk demanded to know.

„Shooting him in front of her. I want to see what happens then."

„With him or with her?"

Ashton only shrugged. His eyes never left the two people, his lab rats.

„You´re crazy." Hawk stated.

„I´m just doing your job here." Ashton replied, still fixed on what was going on in that room.

Spencer had started to hop with his chair to get out of the line of fire somehow. Ashton pushed a button on the remote to move the gun a little to the right, to compensate for that. Spencer halted when he saw that.

Sandy stared at the gun as well. And what happened then, was something Hawk wouldn´t have expected in a thousand years. She moved and placed herself right between Spencer and that gun, practically shielding him with her body.

For a moment, Hawk forgot how to breath. Was that really happening? Was she really protecting him? She knew that they were ready to shoot her any time. They´d done it a few times. Why would she do that?

Before Hawk could even open his mouth to articulate his astonishment, Ashton had pushed the button on his remote and the gun on top of the little robot started to fire. His eyes were glowing like a kid playing a very new exciting video game.

Sandy doubled over when the bullets hit her in the stomach. Her face mirrored clearly the pain and the surprise about how fast this had happened. She obviously hadn´t expected them to shoot after all. At least not immediately. But with that she wasn´t alone.

„What the hell are you doing?" Hawk cried and grabbed Ashton´s arm.

„Look." the other one said, his eyes fixed on the screen that showed Shawn Spencer´s brain. It had started to glow again. Hawk wasn´t sure if it were the same regions that had been glowing last time, but in this moment he didn´t even care about that.

„I didn´t give the order to shoot, soldier." he hissed at Ashton.

„You would have given it eventually. I just spared us some time."

„If you ever do that again …" Hawk hissed but Ashton just looked back at him, his face blank.

„You´re welcome." he said. „For the great test results."

Hawk stared at this arrogant sucker for a moment and then let go of his wrist, throwing the arm of the man down. Still it didn´t seem to impress Ashton very much and that made Hawk hate him even more. He threw a glance at the computer screen and regarded the illuminated brain of the psychic for a moment. Spencer was currently crying for help and for Sandy to hang on.

Sandy was lying on the ground. She didn´t move anymore, her blood wandering beneath her.

Hawk sighed loudly. He wanted to punch Ashton right now but he contained his anger. At least they had the results to work with, no matter how big the mess was. Still this arrogance Ashton kept allowing himself towards him … that was something Hawk needed to do something about.

„Get someone here to bring her to her appartement." he ordered the guard at the door. „And get the girl over there."

The man nodded and went out. Hawk looked through the mirror again and at Sandy. Damn, what a mess.

„You should make sure that she´s dead, before you let someone in there." Ashton mentioned. „Could be that she´s just playing possum until someone with tasty energy walks in."

Hawk threw him a warning glare, but Ashton´s face was blank as always.

* * *

**Quick reminder: I could use some reviews, people. At least once in a while. Thanks.**


	10. Holding out for a Hero

**Holding out for a Hero**

Usually when the door to their cell-appartement opened, Molly would tense and expect to see guards with guns walking in to drag her or Sofia out for another test. But at this time of the day she didn´t tense and neither did Sofia. Because they both knew who was coming in now.

When Benny opened the door, carrying their plates with food, his face was made of a happy smile.

„Heeyy." he called. „My ladies. How are you doing?"

Molly smiled, happy to see him and looked at Sofia to let her answer the question. Her younger friend made a face as if she didn´t know and then wagged her hand. So-so, the gesture said and Benny laughed at this.

„Well, that´s better than last time." he commented and put the food down. „Bon-appetite."

The two girls looked at their food for a moment, anticipating their meal. But for Molly it wasn´t the lunch that made those visits so nice. It was Benny. He wouldn´t leave right away to keep on going to his next task. He never did. Instead he stayed a little longer, nonchalantly leaning on the edge of the table.

„You seem much better today, Molly." he mentioned.

Molly lowered her gaze for a moment, blushing a little. „I feel much better." she said, smiling at him radiantly. „Mohinder is here. Just knowing that … you know … it helps me to hang on."

„That´s great." Benny was happy for her. „You see? I told you it would get better. Ever since you …" and with that he pointed at Sofia. „… did that great job of yours, to bring him back."

Sofia didn´t smile back when he beamed at her. Instead she lowered her eyes as if the memory of bringing someone back to life was not a nice one. Molly had asked her a few times how it felt for her, but she´d never really answered the question.

„Yeah." she now said, wanting her friend to know how grateful she still was and always would be. It was important that she knew. So she stood up and went over to her, giving her a grateful hug. „Good job." she repeated Benny´s words.

Sofia hugged her back but she still didn´t smile. Not really. Molly looked into her serious eyes and just knew that Sofia wouldn´t buy it if she smiled at her. So she didn´t even try.

„Everything is going to get better." she promised but Sofia only looked back at her, no change in her eyes.

„Sure it will." Benny agreed lightheartedly as if he hadn´t noticed the tension.

But when Molly glanced at him, she could see that he had noticed it. Of course he had. A silent agreement was exchanged between them, to keep it at that and for a moment Molly´s heart beat faster. She almost didn´t manage it to walk over to the edge of the table but somehow her legs carried her, stronger than she´d expected it. When she leaned in a little to him, so only he would be able to hear her whisper, he leaned in a little as well.

„Mohinder is going to get us out of here." Molly told him quietly, conviction steadying her voice despite this dizzying closeness.

„How is he supposte to do that?" Benny whispered back at her.

„I don´t know." she admitted. „But he´ll find a way. He knows I´m in here and he´ll never rest until he got me out. Both of us." she met Benny´s eyes, so close to her´s, and swallowed. „I trust him." she stated, hoping he wouldn´t see her nervousness.

Benny´s reaction was not as happy as she would have liked. Quiet the contrary. He seemed reluctant.

„But that is dangerous, Molly." he said. „You know that. I wouldn´t want you to get hurt in an escape attempt. I saw enough of them go bad. You don´t want that, do you?"

Before Molly could think of a reply, Sofia was writing down something on her small notepad. She had a dark glare while doing so and when she was done, she shoved the note over the table so Benny could read it. He picked it up and read it with a frown. When he looked at Sofia again, his face was serious.

„You are far too young to say something like that." he said.

Molly didn´t need to ask, what Sofia had written. The dark glare she gave Benny in response was more than Molly needed to know. It was another subject they´d talked (in Sofia´s case written) about quiet a lot. Molly knew that Sofia would have tried to end her own life long ago, if she wouldn´t know that the life of the other prisoners depended on her healing powers.

Many of the tests Hawk´s men did with them, ended with injuries, sometimes even worse. Molly suspected that they did this on purpose, knowing that they needed victims for Sofia to use her powers in order to study her. That was the reason why they were not as gentle with their tests on the other specials, as they could be. The more injuries Sofia could heal, the more opportunities to study her ability.

Benny was sitting in his chair now, thinking about what he´d heard (or read) for a moment.

„What would you say, if I could arrange it for you to go up and out in the garden?" he then asked them. „You know, taking some fresh air. Lie in the sun. They even have a pool."

Molly´s heart sped up at this but this time it wasn´t the thought of Benny that did this to her.

„You could do that?" she asked, almost not able to believe it.

„You have been nice lately." Benny shrugged. „I talk to Mr. Harris. I´m sure he´ll allow it. As soon as you´re outside again, you´ll feel better." he promised Sofia.

Molly looked at her friend and saw a small glimpse of hope in her dark eyes. It was the same thing she felt. So long they´d been thinking about how to get out of here, to find a way out. And now all the sudden, Benny offered it to them, just like this. That was almost too good to be true.

Maybe, if they planned it well and went to work carefully, they could do something to help Mohinder, instead of letting him save them. Molly´s heart was beating even faster now.

„Outside would be good." she answered Benny´s suggestion, with all the composure she could muster. „We could have a look around and …"

„No, no, no." he immediately cried. „I didn´t mean you should try to run. That wouldn´t work anyway. The fence is high and the guards are heavily armed. Don´t do anything stupid, please. I just want you to see the sun again."

Molly smiled at him gratefully. „I know." she said. „We won´t do anything. I promise."

Benny nodded and smiled at her. That sweet smile she´d started to love about him.

„Okay then." he said relieved. „I talk to Mr. Harris. I can´t promise anything but … I´ll do my best. I put on my puppy eyes." he added and blinked a few times.

The two girls started to laugh when they saw this.

„You really have puppy eyes." Molly told him between her giggles.

Benny laughed too and thanked her for the compliment. He got up and made a bow before he turned around to leave again. At the door he stopped.

„Oh, almost forgot." he cried. „I´ve got some little something for you." He reached in his cart that stood outside of their door in the hallway and got two popsicles out. „Your deserts." he said. „Bon appetite, ladies."

The two of them had just taken the little gifts, when a guard came in through the door.

„Sofia Romanova." he spoke gently but firmly. „You´re ought to come with me. There´s another test for you."

Molly exchanged an uncomfortable glance with her friend. They both knew that this could not mean anything good. Usually it only meant, someone got hurt in a test.

...

They´d killed him and they´d brought him back to life. They´d threatened to hurt the girl he considered as close as his own daughter and they´d made him do their dirty work. He´d dismantled the brain of a dead man and he´d worked on endless samples that were taken by a man that didn´t care if he hurt the people he took them from. The people Mohinder wanted to help. And right now he was done with his work on a sample that had caused a boy he knew, a lot of pain.

Still he´d done it. Because he had no choice and they knew that. But Mohinder knew that game as well and he knew that they needed him to cooperate. They might be in a position where they could threat him with Molly, but he had some aces up his sleeve as well.

When the door opened this time and Garth walked in to claim his results, Mohinder was prepared.

„You done, doctor?" the soldier asked bruskly.

„I am."

„Then give it to me."

Mohinder didn´t move, only crossed his arms. Garth laughed.

„You´re waiting for an extra invitation?" he asked. „You´ll give me the report now or …"

„I´ll give you the report after I saw Molly." Mohinder talked over him.

Garth just laughed again. „Who do you think you are?" he asked.

„I´m the one who´s doing this dirty work for you." Mohinder burst out. „I want to see Molly. You want me to do this work for you, then I want something in return. Let me see her."

„You better don´t push me, doctor." Garth said and walked in on him. „Or I´ll …"

Mohinder walked up the rest of the way and placed himself right in front of Garth, picking up the challenge fearless.

„Or what?" he asked the slightly smaller man. „You want to beat me up? You´re welcome to try."

The guard at the door had stepped closer and cocked his gun. Mohinder barely took notice of it. He was busy holding Garth´s slightly irritated stare. But the Corporal immediately gained his former arrogance back, hearing the sound of the cocked gun. He knew he had backup and that Mohinder was alone against him, no matter how much stronger he was. He was not bulletproof.

„I want to see Molly." Mohinder repeated his demand. „Then you get your damn report."

Garth just grinned. He opened his mouth to say something but someone else was faster.

„I think there´s nothing that speaks against it." Hawk´s voice spoke up behind him, making the two men turn around in surprise.

The Commander leaned in the door, nonchalantly, and somehow this lack of acknowledgment for the seriousness of the situation, had more effect on Garth than any stare.

„I´ll bring you over myself." Hawk offered kindly.

The guard went back to his poste at the door immediately. Garth didn´t retrieve that fast though. He was clenching his jaw, staring daggers at Mohinder.

„You´re dismissed, Corporal." Hawk said, his tone still kind. „Thanks for the good work."

Garth looked at his Commander, but there was no change in Hawk´s gaze. At last, the Corporal dropped his gaze, nodding once, and saluted. Hawk saluted back, dismissing him. After Garth was gone he faced Mohinder.

„Shell we?" he asked politely and led the doctor out of the lab.

Mohinder followed him through the corridors, slightly irritated. He´d expected much more trouble with his demand to see Molly. Especially from Hawk. That he led him to her that easily didn´t seem quiet right.

But when the door to her cell opened – he just refused to call it an appartement, because it was none – he forgot about his suspicions. All he could see was Molly.

It had been so long, since he´d seen her last time. So many years, years in which she´d grown, almost to be a young woman. God she´d changed, so much. Still when he saw her eyes grow wide at his sight, he saw the little girl again. The one he´d once tried to protect.

Her eyes switched over to Hawk at once, carefully, estimating.

The Commander smiled at Molly and nodded at Mohinder, before he turned around and closed the door behind himself. It only needed two seconds and Molly was up and had crossed the room. Her hug was so tight that Mohinder almost believed to be in a bench vise. But the shivering breath she let out against his shoulder erased that thought immediately.

„I´m so sorry." he heard her say.

Mohinder could barely believe it. He was supposte to say those words, not she.

„For what?" he asked, gently caressing her hair. „You didn´t do anything."

„But I did." she cried, looking at him with desperate eyes. „I almost got you killed."

Mohinder was too flabbergasted to give a response. What was she talking about?

„I told them where you are." she said as if she´d read the question in his mind. Her eyes were fixed on his, as if she waited for him to yell at her. „They made me do it." she hurried to explain. „They threatened to hurt Sofia. I didn´t want to, but I just couldn´t let them hurt her. I couldn´t …"

„It´s all right, Molly." Mohinder talked over her and pulled her in for another hug. She almost wouldn´t let him. But in the end he smoothed her rigid form with his gentle strokes and she relaxed against him. „You wanted to help a friend and that was absolutely all right." he told her. „Nothing happened."

„You were dead." she shouted, pulling away from him again, making him stare at her in shock. „When I tried to find you, you were not there." She gasped, remembering the feeling. „And I saw Sylar. Over your body. Did he …?" she couldn´t go on, couldn´t finish the question.

Mohinder didn´t know what to say. Up until now he hadn´t even thought of that little detail in the whole story. But now that he saw her face to face, it was like being punched in the stomach.

How was he supposte to tell her? How was he supposte to make her understand that the murderer of her parents, the man that had been her Boogey-man since childhood, was not his enemy anymore? That he was even working with him. What would she think? Would she even be able to understand? To forgive him that betrayal? Ever?

„No." he said, trying to get around the theme for the time being. „It wasn´t Sylar who killed me."

The words sounded so strange. Not because of Sylar, but because of the fact that he indeed had been dead. For twenty hours. At least. Mohinder felt goosebumps all over his arms. That was not a nice thought.

„It was a grenade at my car that …" he couldn´t say it again, so he rephrased it. „It was an accident."

„Then _I_ killed you." Molly whispered and the finality in that statement made him angry.

„No." he cried. „You did nothing wrong. You wanted to protect a friend."

„I couldn´t find you." was all she would say, as if that explained everything. „You weren´t anywhere."

„But now you know where I am. I´m right here. And I will find a way to get you out of here. Okay? You and Sofia."

„How?" she wanted to know. „No, don´t tell me." she immediately cried and in a whisper tone, she added: „They´re listening in."

Mohinder nodded at her. It was hurting him to see her that way. So hard and worn out, beating herself up for something that wasn´t her fault. She needed him now, to be strong, to save her.

„I don´t know yet." he admitted, trying to answer her question. „But I´ll find a way. I promise."

Molly hugged him again, quickly. She whispered in his ear so no one would hear what she said.

„Benny said he can make Hawk let us out into the garden. I know the area, I saw it in my head again and again. If we can find a way to slip out …"

Mohinder grabbed her immediately, holding her at arms length.

„No, Molly." he said fiercely. „Don´t you dare to do that."

Her shocked expression almost made him regret his words. But he mustn´t allow her to take such a risk.

„That is too dangerous." he whispered at her. „You will not do that."

„I have to." she whispered in a voice that was barely audible and a single tear slipped down her rigid face.

„No." he denied. „That´s my job. You stay put, you hear me? I´ll take care of everything." Molly looked at him, her face a mask of hidden pain but she didn´t say anything.

„Molly." he addressed her. „Promise me that you won´t do anything. Promise."

Another tear rolled down her cheek but after that one, her face became placid again. „I promise." she said.

Mohinder wasn´t sure if he could believe her. He wanted to tell her that, wanted to demand another promise from her, maybe even an oath that she wouldn´t do it. But before he could say a word, the door behind him was opened again.

„All right, doctor." Hawk said. „You´ve seen her. Now please go back to work."

Mohinder threw a glance over his shoulder and nodded. When he faced Molly again, her tears had died as if they´d never been there. He seriously doubted that she´d even noticed them herself.

Once again he felt that pain in his heart. She shouldn´t look that serious. She should smile and be happy. She should be free, walking in the sun and laugh with her friends. But she wasn´t. She was here. And he needed to change that.

He hugged her one last time, whispering into her ear. „Promise me, Molly."

When he looked at her again, she nodded, mouthing her promise. He nodded back at her and smiled, caressing her hair.

„Don´t worry." he said. „Everything is going to be all right."

With that he let go of her and turned around, following Hawk outside. The last thing he saw of her before the door was closed again, was that same serious face. The face that would follow him into his dreams from now on.

...

He lay on a stretcher, alone in this strange and empty room that reminded him more of the closet of his dad than on a test area. Right after lunch they´d come and brought him here. But instead of placing him in a chair and hooking him to a machine, they´d bound him to this stretcher and hooked him to the damn machine. What the hell were they trying to do?

He ripped on the straps but that only caused the wound on his shoulder to throb with dull pain again. When he looked up at the bandage, he could see that new red had colored it. Shawn let his head sink back down and sighed. Great. Lesson number twenty-two. When you have a fresh wound, don´t straighten it too much. It could break open again and that will weaken you in eventually necessary fights. He could practically see his dad´s reproving gaze.

But on the other hand, how should he fight in the first place, when he was bound? And who? Since they´d left him in here, who knew how long ago, he was the only person in the room. And that again brought him to the next question. What the hell was the meaning of all this?

„Hey!" he called out without much effort. „Anybody here? Helloho! I´m still in here … in case you guys forgot. Hello?"

When no one answered, he sighed.

„This is not very nice." he slurred weakly into the empty room. „Didn´t your moms teach you the rules of hospitality? The guest always comes first."

Still no one answered him. It was starting to really freak him out. If he only wasn´t so tired and weak. He felt as if he hadn´t slept in weeks. And maybe that was true. How long was it ago since he was here in this … place? How long since the night when they´d ambushed him? The night after he and Jules had gone out? He couldn´t even remember.

Jules. And Gus. His dad and even Lassie. What were they doing now? They must be worried sick by now. With no word from him and no idea where he was. Or did they know? If he only had real psychic powers then maybe he would know.

But the idea of him having those powers had brought him here in the first place. Goddammit, how did people with real abilities deal with those things? Would it save him or condemn him to these crazies if he really had powers?

Shawn lifted his head again and it was as if his neck was of led. How long was he lying here now? An hour? Two? Ten? What were they trying to do with him? Did they forget him?

„Hello?" he cried, slowly getting scared. „Are you still there? I´m getting thirsty. Come on, guys, you can´t just leave me here. HEY! You hear me? You won´t get anything from me if I die of thirst."

Still no answer. As if they´d truly shut the door behind him and left him here to starve. Shawn felt the weight of frustration and fear. He´d never felt that helpless in his life. Why were they doing this? What had he done to them? Where were his friends, his dad, Juliet? Why didn´t they come and save him? They always came. Didn´t they know that he needed them? Right now? Like immediately? What were they waiting for?

„Please." he brought out and felt the pain of his thirst even more. „I just wanna … a smoothy. Just a tiny cup. I´ll do your tests, just … give me something to drink."

He closed his eyes. The bright light in this room started to really hurt. But even with closed eyes it didn´t really get any better. Water. If they wouldn´t give him a smoothy then he would take water. Just water. He didn´t need any sweet taste. By now he would accept everything that was liquid. His throat was so dry he would spit out dust if he had the strength to cough.

His mind drifted off while he tried to imagine a cool glas of water. Ice cubes were swimming on top of it and the outside of the glass was covered with pearly drops. He wanted to take it and gulp the whole thing down, not caring about possible brain freezing. Because he knew that the waitress had even more cool water in her bottle and after he´d finished this glas he would get another one, right away. He could already hear it gurgle. She reached up to the neck of the bottle and opened it. The sound it made was strange. Somehow hollow. It reminded more of a hatch that was opened or something.

Shawn opened his eyes and saw that it _had been_ a hatch. There was one in the wall beside him. He turned his head and on the other side was another one. He frowned. Was he still dreaming? Why was he still hearing the gurgling sound of the water, when he was awake now? But then he realized that the gurgling sound didn´t come from his dream. It had never been there. It had come from within these walls. And it came closer every second now.

Shawn understood what was going on just a moment before it happened. He pulled on his straps again but he was too weak. And then the water came. It shot out of the hatches and poured into the room. Shawn didn´t need to see the floor to know that it was rising fast. He could hear it. Just one more minute or so and it would be at his level.

Was this really happening? This had to be a nightmare. He´d probably fallen asleep in his thirst and now he dreamed that the water he´d been pleading for, had come to kill him. It had to be like that. It had to be. Something like that just couldn´t be happening for real. Surely he was sound asleep and soon he would wake up when the guards would open the door to bring him back to his cell. Soon he would …

But then the water had reached the stretcher and started to soak his clothings. It was so cold and wett that his heart started to race over the shock. No, this was no dream. It was real. Totally real. But why? Why were they doing this?

„Heeeyyyy!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. „Help! This isn´t … You can´t do that! Let me out! Help!"

Water swapped in his face and he swallowed some of it. It did some good to his throat but he also knew that it wouldn´t end there. Just a little more of it and he would downright drown in here.

„I said a little water not …" he spit when a new wave splashed over his face. „That´s just ridiculous." He held his breath for a moment and raised his head. „You can´t do that!" he yelled but just like the whole time, his yelling remained unanswered.

He held his head upwards as long as he could, forming an O with his mouth to keep breathing as long as possible. But the straps that held him on the stretcher, just wouldn´t allow any more and in the end he had only enough time to take one last deep breath, before the water was all around him. His head hit the stretcher again, underwater.

Water was getting into his nose and he wanted to blow it out. But air was value and he fought against that instinct to keep the precious stuff inside. He wouldn´t get another chance to refill his lungs. Maybe never again.

The water kept running. It filled his head with the constant rushing sound. A sound that had been wonderful in his dream about a drink on a hot day. Now it was the roaring of his own close death.

...

Hawk was angry. Once again something had been done over his head, of course by that insubordinate Ashton. That was it. He would have to think about something to teach this man a lesson. He might be one of his best men but that didn´t give him the right to do whatever he wanted without his, Hawk´s, permission. It was time that he learned that profound truth as well.

Hawk opened the door and stormed into the room.

„May I ask what the hell you´re doing here?" he barked without transition.

Instead of being startled, the way Hawk had intended it, Ashton turned around in his chair, absolutely calm and looked at him as if he´d just wished a good afternoon.

„Another test, Commander." was his dry answer.

„I didn´t order a test." Hawk bellowed. „Since when are you writing my schedule? What is this? Show me what you ´re doing with him."

When Ashton didn´t react at once, Hawk stared down at him, intently.

„Right now, Lieutennant." he demanded and his tone left no doubt about what would happen if his order would be ignored.

Ashton reached for the keyboard and pushed a button. The screen before him changed and showed the picture of the surveillance camera in test room C. What it showed, made Hawk actually doubt his own eyes.

„Are you out of your mind?" he cried. „He´s drowning. Stop that right now."

„His last test was too quick." Ashton told him instead of stopping the water. „He was scared but the shot in his shoulder only shocked him. A slow death like drowning delivers a totally different form of fear."

Hawk could only stare at this mad man in disgust and disbelieve. Was he really serious with that? It sure seemed so.

„You are out of your mind." was all he knew to say. „You´ll stop this, right now."

„I have datas." Ashton informed him, still far too calm for the things he had initiated in that other room.

„I don´t care if you have the proof that Santa Clause exists." Hawk said in a low tone.

On the screen Shawn Spencer had stopped writhing and fighting against the water that threatened his lungs. Hawk knew the movements a drowning person made when the end of the fight was there. He saw it right now and alone that made his anger rise even more.

„You went too far." he told Ashton. „That is worse than any kind of torture. What you did is as good as murder."

„As if you had a problem with the death of people in the line of our experiments so far." Ashton replied unimpressed.

„If the death happened over the course of the experiment." Hawk justified his actions. He wouldn´t allow this little bastard to turn his own rules against him. „We never planned on killing people through those tests." he stated. „Death … is something necessary. But not something we plan. You´ll stop this right now. And then you´ll come to my office, soldier."

Without waiting for a response, the Commander opened the door and addressed the guard that was posted before it.

„Get Sofia Ramanova." he ordered. „She has to bring someone back to life. And this time …" he turned back to Ashton. „… you´ll not hook her to your gadgets when she´s doing it. This was the last time you broke my chain of command, Ashton."

With that he left the room, heading for the test-room to supervise the resurrection of Shawn Spencer.


	11. Decisions

**Decisions**

Juliet threw a glance over the file she was reading to check on her coworkers around the table. Everybody was reading a file just like her. None of them seemed to have found anything in those files yet. Just like last time she´d checked on them. And just like last time she´d checked, no one seemed to even notice that she was checking in the first place.

Each time she´d checked it had unnerved her more. They were sitting here for hours and it was not the first time they were doing this without any result. At last her limit was reached. She threw the useless file down onto the table and startled everyone into a jump. Gus even knocked his mug off the table. It shattered on the ground.

For a moment the sound of that accident was all that filled the room, followed by a heavy silence. Everybody had seen Juliet´s face and not even Lassiter dared it to shout at her what the hell she was thinking.

„This is pointless." she spoke up at last, breaking the silence. „We´re not finding anything."

„She´s right." Lauren agreed, a little too nonchalantly for Juliet´s taste. The other woman raised the file she´d been reading. „We won´t find anything." she repeated Juliet´s words. „They are either clean …"

„They are not." Lassiter insisted grimly.

„Or very good in disguising everything they do." Lauren finished her sentence and firmly put down the file like a judge his hammer. „Those files won´t show anything." she stated matter of factly.

„It´s been almost two weeks now." Juliet recalled more than just frustrated. „We´ve got to do something."

„I agree." was all Lassiter said but it didn´t quiet sound as if he knew what this something was supposte to be.

Gus, who obviously chose to ignore the detective´s tone, stood up.

„Ok." he said. „What do we do?"

„Not that fast, Guster." Lassiter demanded. „We still have orders. Harris is tabu for us."

On the other side of the table Bennet raised his hand. „I say it again if you want. The Company is not bound to your orders. Lauren and I could …"

„Lauren and you are only two people too." Henry talked right over him, his voice as fierce and frustrated as Juliet´s. „I can´t imagine that your Company will be thrilled by the idea of sending agents to a mission like that. That´s not quiet the field you work, now is it?"

Bennet moved his head in a way that told him how right he was, frustrating the elder Spencer even more. Henry scoffed and threw his own file down on the table.

„Dammit." he growled. „Who says that we can´t go there anyway?" he then asked. „Observation is a totally normal part of an investigation. Not even Karen can say anything against that."

„He´s right." Juliet agreed, gaining some new hope.

„I was up there the other night." Henry blurred out, totally beyond caring by now. „I know where we have to take position to cover the most important spots of that mansion."

„When the heck were you there?" Lassiter asked.

„At night." Henry answered with a shrug that asked: what did you think? „But alone I couldn´t cover enough ground. With all of you together though …"

„Are you out of your mind, Spencer?" Lassiter barked. „You´re lucky they didn´t shoot you for trespassing. And if they´d called the cops on you, we couldn´t have helped you because it was no official police business."

„My son is up there." Henry shouted and stood up. „You don´t expect me to sit around and do nothing."

Lassiter stood up as well, unconsciously mirroring Henry´s body language.

„Karen said do everything that´s necessary." the elder Spencer bellowed. „And I will do everything that´s necessary."

„So will I." Juliet supported him before Lassiter had a chance to speak against it, standing up as well. Gus, not knowing what else to do, did the same. Lauren and Bennet remained at their seats, watching the scene before them with great interest.

„You´re lucky I already _was_ up there." Henry kept yelling at Lassiter. „I spared you time with that."

Gus decided at the spur of the moment, that it was probably better not to be in the middle of that and sat back down.

„Now we know where to take position." Henry finished his yelling fit at Lassiter.

„He´s right." Bennet spoke up, stopping Lassiter from yelling back at Henry just in time. His calm voice made both men look at him with a frown. „If it would be my daughter up there, I would be doing the same thing." he supported Henry´s point.

Lassiter looked at the other man for a moment, finally taking the time to consider this other side. Juliet had no idea what kind of silent communication it was that went on between them in this moment, but if she was honest, she didn´t even care. All that was important for her was that her partner gave in at last, performing one of his typical determined nods.

„All right then." he said, facing Henry again. „We go over to observation. My call."

Henry didn´t say anything, only mirrored the nod Lassiter had given him. It was unbelievable but they had somehow managed it to ship around a full sized fight between the two of them and Juliet didn´t even know how they´d done that. Or better yet, how Bennet had done that. But once again that was not really important right now. Important was what they would do now, that they would finally really do something to find and save Shawn.

„We´ll go there in teams." Lassiter now decided. „Two at the time. That way we can cover three positions. Is that enough for you, Henry?" he asked.

„More than enough." Henry answered, ignoring the sarcasm.

Lassiter nodded. „All right." he said. „Then let´s get ready. We go there tonight."

...

It had needed much longer to arrange everything than he´d thought. The girl had not made any problems for a change, first resurrecting Sandy Morrigan and shortly after that, Shawn Spencer as well, without any form of complain, and that alone had somehow irritated him. But then the other one, Molly, had asked for something that Benny had obviously promised them and Hawk had been caught off guard.

When he´d asked her what she was talking about, she´d been reluctant to explain herself and he´d delayed the clarifying talk until his business with Spencer was complete.

Hawk walked out of the appartement, his mood even worse than before. He just regretted that the girls probably felt as if they were the reason for that. But that was something he couldn´t change right now. Right now he had to take care of that son of a bitch that had subverted his chain of command.

„Ashton." he barked when he saw him at the end of the hallway. He would have to get the idea to call him by his first name. Hawk would have laughed if he´d felt like it.

The damn guy was standing before his office like a defiant student before the office of the principal. And his gaze was respectively defiant when he turned to him. Oh, Hawk so wanted to punch this bastard in the face.

„You …" he started but Ashton talked right over him.

„I just did what _you_ would have been too scared to do." he told him. „You´re trying to find the answer to God´s plan with human kind. If you really want to find that answer, you can´t stop as soon as it gets uncomfortable."

„Don´t you dare to pretend that your intentions are the same as mine." Hawk bellowed. „You´re just satisfying your sadistic needs on these people."

„And so far that never really bugged you. Why does it now? Huh?"

„You overstepped a line, soldier. You still know what the word chain of command means?"

„Of course, I do. I´m only acting in my superiors best interest."

For a moment Hawk didn´t know what to say. He knew this was a lie. He knew that Ashton knew that as well. Of course, he was the one telling the lie. But his eyes were so open and convinced about what he said, that Hawk couldn´t help but wondered if this man had a problem separating realities.

How to talk against someone that did something and then was convinced about the fact that he´d never done it in the first place? Because that´s what Hawk was facing right now. In Ashton´s world he´d never disobeyed any kind of order. In his version he´d _executed_ orders.

And in this moment Hawk realized for the first time, how dangerous this man could be. He might have the face of a boy if he took away that stoic face and put on an innocent smile, but he was the coldest person Hawk had ever met in his life.

How, he wondered. How could he ever put this man in charge over all this? He´d given him far too much power in here. And how was it possible that he´d never noticed that before?

He was just in the process of telling Ashton that he would officially demote him, that he could pretend that he´d followed orders as long as he wanted, it wouldn´t change the facts. But he didn´t get the chance to say all this.

„Commander." Olson called him through the hall, hurrying over to him. „Sorry to interrupt you, sir." he apologized after a quick salute. „But there is something you need to see."

„What is it?"

„We´ve detected movements around the mansion." Olson reported.

„Movements?"

„Intruders, sir. They´re outside of our perimeter but they are steady in their position. Definitely no lost hikers."

Hawk thought this over for a moment, throwing a grim glance at Ashton, who looked right back at him with the typical lack of respect.

„Show me." Hawk demanded at last and followed Olson to the observation room.

Ashton followed behind in almost humble silence. Of course Hawk knew that this was fake. Ashton was everything but humble. He was just quiet because he thought it better to watch before he decided what action would serve him best.

The Commander forced himself to ignore him. At least for the time being. The surveillance system had just provided him with a completely new problem. It was already dark outside but the thermal image system had picked up three parties that were positioned around the mansion. And not just randomly either. They´d picked the three best spots to watch them. Olson was right. Those were no hikers.

„I guess he brought his friends along." Olson commented.

„The guy from last week." Hawk understood and Olson nodded.

He´d hoped this man had been a persistent hiker after all. The Roth mansion was an interesting object and was often photographed by tourists, when some of them found their way up here. But the way it looked, he´d been too optimistic in that hope.

„So they are really watching us." he mumbled.

„So it _is_ the police." Olson guessed it right.

Hawk nodded. „Seems we couldn´t scatter their suspicions after all. Dammit."

„Are you surprised about that?" Ashton asked behind him.

Hawk threw him a brief glance. He hated it to admit it but Ashton was right. He should have expected that. Now he had much more trouble than he´d hoped he would get.

„Did Amanda see them?" he wanted to know.

„They are hidden very well." Olson assured him but that would only stay that way for so long.

„Dammit." Hawk cursed under his breath, his hand thoughtfully massaging his chin. „I want them gone." he said. „I don´t care how you do that. Just get them away from my property."

„They are cops." Olson recalled. „We can´t just shoot them all and hope that the whole affair will be forgotten."

„Then think of something." Hawk cried.

He was slowly getting really nervous. Amanda was in the kitchen with Danny and from there they had a pretty good view outside, through the sliding glass doors. What if she saw them? How the hell was he supposte to explain that to her? She wasn´t stupid. She would not buy that story about a group of hikers.

„I have an idea." Ashton spoke up and Hawk was once again close to just punch him in the face just for the fact that he was here, in a moment when he was so vulnerable and desperate.

„What?" he demanded to know nevertheless.

He could see in Ashton´s face how satisfied he was about the way this situation had presented itself to him. He gestured at the screen with his eyes. The screen that showed them the thermal image of two people sitting in the woods, watching them through binoculars.

„They are looking for something suspicious." Ashton stated matter of factly. „Well. Then let´s give them something."

...

Danny was rocking up and down in his playpen when Hawk entered the big kitchen. Amanda was sitting at the table, a huge bunch of folders before her, the pen still in her hand, even though her gaze was absent mindedly on Danny. The boy saw the gaze of his mother on him and smiled widely, shrieked and jumped even more. A tired smile crept over her lips but it didn´t stay long.

„Hey, honey." Hawk greeted her and startled her out of her thoughts, wherever those had been in this moment. She turned around to him and smiled.

„Hey."

„You look tired." he mentioned and put the tea and the cups on the table before her.

„I am." she admitted while he poured the tea for her. „You´re a peach." she smiled. „Thank you."

„You´re always working far too long." he told her, sitting down by her side. „You should rest."

„I just want to finish these." was her answer. „They need them tomorrow."

„All right then." Hawk said but shoved the cup closer to her anyway. „But for the next five minutes, you´ll take a moment to just relax. That´s an order."

Amanda smiled gratefully and took the tea. „Yes, sir." she said, carefully sipping the hot tea.

„Hm." she made. „That´s good. What is it?"

„It´s the same tea you trink all the time."

„Really? It tastes different."

„I got a new honey. Olson brought it from Switzerland."

„Interesting." she found and took another sip, taking more attention to the taste this time. She found it all right, nodding approvingly.

In his playpen Danny shrieked and bobbed again. „-amma." he cried. „Weee. Weeeeeee."

„It´s tea, honey." she corrected him. „Can you say tea? Tea."

Hawk threw her an asking gaze.

„The doctor said we should bring him to a speech-language pathologist." she explained. „That he might be able to overcome that speaking issue if he gets the right training."

„Really?"

„Yeah, isn´t that great? I already brought him to say his own name the right way. Isn´t that right, honey? Can you tell daddy your name? What´s your name?"

„-anny." the kid cried happily. „-anny."

„Danny." Amanda repeated patiently. „You remember? D-anny. Come on, say it. I know you can."

The little one looked as if he was thinking very hard for a moment. His mouth was open, his lips moving as if he was looking for a word he´d forgotten.

„Danny." Amanda repeated one more time for him. „Come on."

And then he actually did it. Hawk almost couldn´t believe it when he heard this name from his own son´s lips, totally without any mistake.

„Danny." the boy cried and laughed when his mother smiled at him widely. „Danny! Danny!" He bobbed wildly, shrieking happily.

„Did you hear that?" Amanda asked, the proudest smile on her lips.

„I heard it." Hawk answered, still absolutely stunned.

He´d known that Sofia´s touch would help Danny to get better but that it would be that good was almost more than he could have ever hoped for. Maybe a little too good already. So far Amanda seemed too occupied with her happiness to suspect anything, but how long would that last?

Maybe he´d gone too far. Maybe he´d wanted too much at once. Lately too many things went wrong because he´d failed to estimate things the right way. What the hell was wrong with him?

As if his thoughts had been a cue in a bad soap opera or something, Amanda stopped laughing at their son and turned to him with a slight frown. She was still smiling but the thoughtful gaze was unmistakable.

„Isn´t it amazing how fast he came over all this all the sudden?" she asked.

Hawk looked at her, for a moment, totally unable to give a response. How long did this tea need to show effect?

„He´s your son." he said at last. „I never had a doubt that he would make it eventually."

Amanda smiled, flattered, but not after she´d studied his face for a moment. Eventually she dropped her eyes and yawned. The teacup in her hand became heavier and Hawk had to take it from her to keep it from spilling its content over the files on the table.

„Strange." Amanda mumbled. „I feel so sleepy all the sudd´n."

„I told you, you work too much." Hawk said and offered her his shoulder to lean her head against it.

She mumbled something in return but he couldn´t understand it anymore. A minute or so later, she was fast asleep.

In his playpen, Danny was looking over to them and was quiet for a change. He looked at Hawk almost as if he knew that his daddy had done something to put his mommy to sleep. The Commander smiled at his son for a moment, while he took out his cell phone.

„Olson." he spoke into it. „Tell Ashton he can go ahead."

...

The ground was cool and a little wet because it had rained the day before. Not too much though. It was bearable. Nothing that could distract Henry from the building ahead on the other side of that small depression. No matter what they would do, he would not miss a single movement that would happen over there, not even if an earthquake should occur.

Next to him a crackling sound made him flinch. He threw a glance beside him and saw Gus, bowed over, carefully unwrapping a candy bar.

„What the hell are you doing?" he hissed at him.

The boy looked at him with confused eyes. „Why, eating something." he stated. „We´re here for hours."

„You can eat but not something that crackles that loud as this." Henry hissed angrily. „Don´t you have any idea how to observe someone?"

„It wasn´t that loud." Gus protested. „And of course I know how to observe someone. Shawn and I did this I don´t know how many times."

„And I bet you two were not suffering hunger while doing this."

Gus frowned and cocked his head in confusion over that comment. Henry just shook his head.

„Whatever." he mumbled and looked through his binoculars again. „Actually it´s a good thing to keep up your strength." he started to talk quietly. „You never know when observance turns into action."

„Tell me about it." Gus mumbled over a mouthful of chocolate.

„Candy is not the adequate food though." Henry went on. „Sunflower seeds are better. Or cereal bars. And you may never drink while you´re on a stakeout, because if you do, you´ll most likely have to pee when the culprit comes out."

Gus frowned, listening to all of this with growing confusion. He gulped his bite of the candy down and threw a glance around.

„We are in a forest." he mentioned. „What difference does that make?"

Henry threw him a glance and chuckled. „You´re not always in a forest when you observe someone." he told this unknowing kid. „When you are in a car or a building, you can´t just pee at the next tree."

„I know that." Gus snapped.

„Doesn´t sound if you do." was the calm response.

„What is this? A cadet school unit?"

„Maybe it would do you good to have one or two."

„We´re here for a reason, or did I get that wrong?"

„And that is exactly the reason why I want you to know how to do that right."

„All right, listen." Gus started, now out of his patience. „I may not be a trained police man like you. But it´s my best friend who´s on the line here, so don´t tell me how to do this right. If I wouldn´t know that, I wouldn´t be here. And just for the record …"

But in this moment a sound from ahead made Henry jump and look through his binoculars again. He affixed it just in time to see a van driving through the gate of the mansion. It was a white van, inside he could see the driver and a second man in the passenger seat. This second man threw a glance behind himself at something that was in the back of the van. Only for a second but it was enough for Henry. He immediately grabbed his walkie talkie.

„Everybody, we have something here." he radioed. „There´s a van leaving the mansion. Heading north. Fits the description of the van that was used to get Roth away."

„You think Shawn could be in there?" Juliet´s voice asked him.

„Even if he isn´t." Lassiter answered before Henry needed to say anything. „That could be the evidence we were looking for. Henry. You guys tail that thing, you hear me?"

„I´m far ahead of you, detective." Henry said, already on his way back to his car. Gus trotted right behind him.

„I´ll go too." they heard Juliet´s voice on the radio and then Lassiter´s startled: „What?"

„If Shawn is in that van, I´ll not sit here and watch that damn mansion." Juliet told her partner, both of them obviously unaware or indifferent about the fact that their argument was overheard. Henry could actually see the detective grit his teeth in frustration.

„All right." Lassiter finally said. „Henry." he spoke into the walkie talkie again. „Stay in contact.

We´re right behind you."

„Copie." Henry replied. He´d reached the car and opened the door.

„Noah …" Lassiter radioed for the third partie in their radio conference.

„I´ve heard it." Bennet answered calmly. „You go. We stay here and keep an eye on our friends. Good luck."

Henry switched the walkie off and handed it to Gus. He needed his hands free to drive.

...

Noah switched off his walkie talkie and placed it on the verge between himself and Lauren. They were lying on the west side of the mansion. The ravine with the river was in their back and they had a perfect view over the west wing of the building, what also included the front gate and the window that belonged to Harris´ office. So far they´d not seen anything suspicious. But that word was relative in a situation like this.

Noah´d never lowered his binoculars since they´d started this stakeout, not even when Henry had startled him with this call about a van leaving the place. He´d been on too many of these missions to jump at every single vehicle that looked suspicious. He´d experienced too many clever tricks like this to buy it at the first sight. It could be a trick or even just a false alarm. Maybe one of the employees just finished his shift and went home.

Or maybe it was really a distraction, meant to lure them away from here. In this case that would mean they had been spotted. But in that case it was a good thing that so many of them actually followed that van. That way it would look as if the trick had worked. They would have to wait and see.

As it turned out they didn´t need to wait too long after all. Only a few minutes after Henry, Gus, Carlton and Juliet had left to follow that ominous van, a second vehicle left the mansion. It was no car though but a black motorcycle.

„Is that Shawn?" Lauren whispered excited and followed the bike with her binoculars.

Noah did the same and caught one last glimpse of the machine before it vanished around the bend.

„No." he found. „Shawn drives a Norton. That was a Harley Davidson."

He searched the mansion again but everything was quiet over there.

„What do you think?" Lauren asked him.

He didn´t know any answer. He was thinking too many things at once, considering a dozen possibilities only to find that all of them seemed far fetched and likely the same time. There was simply no evidence to work with. All of it could be part of a plan or just pure coincidence, simple movements of a place that was used to have many people coming and going.

„I´m not s …" he started to say when he heard something. A rustling sound behind him, faint but there. A squirrel maybe but also maybe not. He met Laurens gaze and she was obviously thinking the same.

Slowly Noah reached for his gun and she did the same. Now there was another sound and this time it was clear that it was not a squirrel. Someone was closing in and it was probably not only one man.

Noah waited two more seconds, then he gave Lauren the signal. The two of them started to move the same time, pushing themselves off their places and rolling over the edge on which they´d been lying. Immediately the shooting started and as soon as they had ground beneath their feet again they shot back, using the edge as a bank against the enemy bullets. It was literally as if they were shooting out of a trench.

A bullet hit the tree right next to Noah and spit splinters into his face. A moment later another bullet hit his shoulder, throwing him backwards.

„Noah!"

Lauren was by his side and pulled him up, dragging him along into a direction he couldn´t tell.

„We need to get to the car." he brought out.

„They already blocked our way back there." she answered. „They must have found it."

„Dammit."

They kept running. The shots behind them kept coming and Lauren´s response shooting was more for good measure than for real targeting. When they reached a slope, they stopped. Lauren´s gun was empty and she reloaded while Noah kept shooting. He had to use his left hand and would not hit the broad side of a barn if he was right in front of it. But again, those shots were only to show their pursuers, that they were not helpless. Not quiet yet. It was enough to make their pursuers take cover.

The roaring of a motorcycle came from their right and it approached very fast. The two of them had barely enough time to turn around when it already came at them, driving through the trees like a black roaring horseman.

Noah aimed at the driver but the other man was faster. He shot at them and once again, Noah felt the pain of a bullet, this time in his upper arm. Lauren got hit as well and stumbled against him. His foot lost the grip and a moment later they were rolling down the slope.

It was their luck that it was a slight slope and not very high. They came to a rest on a small footpath, behind which another slope fell down, all the way to the river that passed the mansion.

The motorcycle was above them, standing on the edge they´d fallen over. Noah aimed his gun at him and shot. He didn´t hit. The driver turned his bike around and steered it along the edge. He probably knew a way down to them without falling.

„He´ll be here soon." Noah brought out. „We have to get out of here." „How?" Lauren was holding her bleeding shoulder. „Our car is too far and they´ve probably surrounded us."

„I know." was Noah´s response. He stumbled over to the edge, supporting himself on a tree and looked down to the river. Lauren´s eyes became wide.

„You can´t be serious." she cried.

„We have to. They won´t make prisoners. They´re here to kill us."

„You´ll die if you jump."

„We both die if we don´t." he insisted and already grabbed her arm to shove her over the edge.

„You can´t swim with two shot wounds." she cried and tried to breast his shove.

From farther up the path, they heard the motorcycle again and as if this roaring motor was a new sound for a gun, the shots were raining down on them. Noah got hit in his back several times. Lauren got lucky, simply because he´d been in the way when the bullets came. He saw her eyes widen in shock at the realisation.

As for him, he could only feel the impacts in his back. He was beyond pain by now. But not beyond understanding.

So this was it? After all these years, he´d finally underestimated an enemy. And now he was paying the price for it. But if that was so, he would pay it alone and not along with Lauren. He mobilized the rest of his strength that was left in him before his legs gave way, and shoved Lauren over the edge.

She screamed. His name. A long stretched No. Her voice echoed from the slopes of the ravine like the voice of a wailing ghost. And then she was gone, plunged into the stream. Noah was lying on the edge, looking after her. He could barely make her out in the dark, but the moon stood high and he could see that she was trying to swim, trying not to drown. And then she was gone, around the turn, carried away by the water.

Noah coughed up some blood and prayed. Prayed that she would make it. That he would be the only one who had to die here today. For a moment he thought about his daughter. Who would tell her? What would she think? What would she do? Would she even have a body to bury it? The way those people worked, he doubted that very much.

The roaring of the motorcycle was right behind him now but Noah was beyond caring. He heard the bike stop and the driver dismount it. Again he coughed, spitting blood over the ground of this peaceful part of the forest. Beneath him the river kept running and above him the trees were rustling in the wind. Some birds were still singing, unaware of the violence that had happened only a minute ago. Noah closed his eyes.

...

A hand grabbed his shoulder and turned the lifeless body around. There was no reaction. The man on the ground lay still and didn´t move anymore. Six bullets in his vital organs would do that to a man.

But now that his face was close and not only a distorted image of the thermographic camera, things looked even more interesting.

„Well, well." the black biker spoke under his helmet. „Look who we have here."


	12. Awaking with a Shock

**Awaking with a Shock**

It was cold. And dark. But warmth was ahead and he instinctively moved closer to it. Still somewhere in his mind he knew that this was wrong. Something had happened. Something bad and he should not be here. Wherever here was. But before he could figure that out he needed to get warm. So he moved on to get there.

His lungs started to work and he took a long deep breath. It hurt to breath. And it would hurt when he opened his eyes to see where he was, he knew that. But he just needed to know. So he opened them.

It was bright. Far too bright. He could barely see more than some schemes moving around him. One of them was smaller than the others. A smaller person. One of the bigger ones took it and led it away.

„Bring her back to the other girl." a male voice said and then there was the sound of a door.

Noah forced himself to get a grip. His eyes became more focused and at last he could see the faces that belonged to the schemes around him. One of them in particular.

„The famous Mr. Noah Bennet." Harris greeted him. „Welcome."

„You." Noah brought out with a weak voice. „So we were right. What did you do to me?"

„We brought you back to life." Harris told him. „You´re welcome by the way."

Noah didn´t understand anything anymore. „Why?" he demanded to know.

„I figured it would be a waste to just let you die." Harris answered vaguely. „A man as resourceful as you are."

„You can stop right there." Noah let his head sink back onto the stretcher. „I heard that song far too often. I´m not gonna work for you. And other than your boss you have no one to press me with. So spare your breath."

„I have more people than you think." Harris mentioned. „But that´s another story. No, Mr. Bennet. Your task is a different one. You see one of my men voiced the request to use you as a resource for one of our … experiments."

„Experiments?"

„There´s a young lady in this facility that you know from quiet some years ago." Harris told him. „Does the name Sandy Morrigan ring a bell?"

Noah felt his heart speed up when he heard the name. Dear god. This man had to be kidding.

„I see you remember the name." Harris commented with a smile that reminded Noah strangely of a cat that was playing with a caught mouse. „You think she will remember you too?" Harris asked.

...

They´d followed the van down to the docks, always keeping the save distance the book demanded on a stakeout like this. But the damn thing was parked behind that damn warehouse for twenty damn minutes now and nothing had happened at all. The driver and his companion hadn´t gotten out and no one was approaching the vehicle. What the hell were they waiting for?

Slowly Lassiter was losing his patience. If Henry was right and Spencer really was in that van, he wanted to bust the damn thing open. And he was not the only one to feel that way. Next to him, O´Hara was shifting in her seat almost constantly, eager to get out and closer to them.

At last Carlton just couldn´t stand it any longer. He grabbed for his walkie talkie to call Henry, but the other side was faster. Just in the moment when he wanted to speak, the device came to life, spitting out the elder Spencer´s gruff voice.

„I´m going to go over there now." he informed them in his typical, I´m-Henry-Spencer-and-what-I say-will-be-tone. „I´m not waiting any longer."

„If you go there alone, Henry, you´re ignoring every rule in the book." Lassiter barked into the walkie talkie, reacting to the annoying attitude out of pure habit.

„I don´t care about the book." Henry barked back at him promptly. „If my son is in that van I´ll not sit around here and just watch."

„And neither will I." Juliet told Lassiter, whispering sharply.

The detective looked at his partner and was suddenly aware of the mistake he´d made. If Henry hadn´t been so damn much like … well Henry, he might have agreed with the idea of approaching the van. But since Henry was Henry …

„All right then." Carlton grumbled into the walkie. „We approach together. O´Hara and I will come from the left flank. You approach from the right. And Guster. You and …"

Carlton almost choked when he realized what he´d been about to say. He could see in Juliet´s eyes that she´d heard it anyway, even if he´d stopped himself in time. And she was probably not the only one.

„You stay put you hear me?" he finished his order, as gruff as he could under the circumstances.

There was a brief silence in the line, before Henry answered: „He got it. Don´t worry."

Lassiter nodded at his partner and the two of them got out.

The dock seemed abandoned except for that van. Something about the whole picture seemed dead wrong and it wasn´t that the van was missing its plates. But Lassiter had no time to think about that now. On the other side he could already see Henry sneaking in, to get closer to the vehicle that might or might not harbor the fake psychic. Better yet he was trying to sneak. Only that in that wide and deserted place, his steps were echoing all the way over to them. Even from that distance it sounded as if he was right next to Carlton´s ear.

Henry notice that too of course. His face was a mask of all the suppressed curses that went on behind his closed lips. Carlton threw a checking glance at the van but nothing was moving there. They either really didn´t hear anything or, what was more likely, they pretended not to.

Henry had reached a heap of cargo boxes and stopped there for a moment, waiting for a signal from their side. Carlton checked once again and then nodded at him. The elder Spencer mirrored the nod and they all moved on, crossing the rest of the distance to the van.

Carlton´s fingers were tight around his gun. If anything should happen, he would not go down without taking one or two of them with him. The van was quiet. Not a single movement came from there. No one got out to greet them. Carlton ducked down and waited at the back while O´Hara rounded the vehicle, heading for the front of it. He followed her with his eyes, always watching the back doors, in case the culprits should decide to jump out of there to attack. Henry was on the other side of the van. He and Juliet approached the driver´s, respectively the passenger´s side, simultaneously.

Carlton held his breath. O´Hara was at the door now, peeking in. Her posture changed instantly. When she looked back at him, he knew that no one was in there anymore. How the hell? When had these guys left the damn thing? They´d always watched it. The only possible answer to that question was obvious. They hadn´t. O´Hara seemed to have the same thought. Together they approached the back of the van again.

Henry reached for the door handle and waited for the signal. When Carlton gave it to him, he opened the door and jumped back to optimize his position to shoot. But there was no need to shoot. The van was empty. Not a single person was in there.

„This is impossible." Henry exclaimed. „We saw the damn thing the whole time. When …?"

But he didn´t get to finish his question. In the distance there were gunshots ringing out, making them all flinch and look around. No one was to be seen. More shots rang out, somewhere behind the warehouse.

Henry immediately started to run. O´Hara was right at his heels. Carlton cursed and followed them. In the corner of his eyes he saw Guster who´d gotten out of the car, probably confused over the situation.

„You stay put, you understand?" he yelled at him without slowing down.

If it had been Spencer he´d been telling that, he would know now that his words would be ignored. But with Gus he just knew that the guy would listen to him for a change. So at least one thing was off his mind now and that was a good thing. Who knew what they would find behind that warehouse. Maybe their culprits with an executed Spencer lying before them. Maybe Spencer who had managed it to get into a shootout with his kidnappers. Anyway it would be a situation in which he would need all his concentration. A worried Guster was something he wouldn´t be able to deal with right now.

They reached the corner. By now he´d caught up with Henry and O´Hara. He passed them and took the lead. And then he saw what had caused that noise. But it was nothing of the possibilities he´d considered in that short time he´d had. There was no Spencer sitting in a corner, trying not to get killed by armed criminals, the way they´d seen it so many times over the years.

Someone was lying on the ground but it was not Spencer. It was someone in an old ragged coat, a full beard covering his dirty face. Two guys were fighting, punching each other with their fists instead of using the guns in their hands. One of them grabbed the other and threw him against a box, making the wood creak under the impact. He hit his arm against the wood, obviously trying to make him drop his gun but the grip of the other man was tight. Lassiter took all this in within two seconds, his legs never stopped moving. Now he raised his gun.

„Freeze!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. „Drop your weapons."

The two fighting men immediately let go of each other and started to run. Carlton stopped running to have better aim and shot. He missed. Henry and O´Hara rushed past him, pursuing the two men, while Carlton took a moment to throw a look at the man on the ground. Obviously a beggar. He was bleeding from at least two gunshot wounds. Dead.

And that was the last thing Carlton noticed before his attention was violently drawn away from this unfortunate hobo.

Someone appeared behind him, from out of nowhere and grabbed him unprepared. His gun was hit out of his hand and then he got swirled around and pushed against the cargo box. The air went out of his lungs and he could feel how something hit his stomach, several times in a row. But it was no fist that punched him. It was lighter than that. Lighter and much sharper.

Carlton felt the urge to vomit. Something hot was down there where his guts used to be. It felt wet. He tried to look into the face of the man who´d done that to him, but he was wearing a skimask and all he could see was dark cloth and two steel blue eyes, staring at him. A moment later those eyes were gone and he was left alone.

His hands were clinging to his stomach but there was just too much blood to keep it inside with only two hands. Carlton choked. He wanted to cry out but his voice had abandoned him. How? How could this happen? Where were O´Hara and Henry? They´d been here only a minute ago.

His vision started to blur and a moment later, his legs started to give in.

He heard the sounds of footsteps approaching him, far away by now, slowed down and muffled like in a movie. And then the voice of his partner, frightened and out of breath, calling his name. Also slowed down and so far away. Her face appeared in his field of vision. Blurred. But he could clearly see her shocked eyes looking down on him, and her lose blonde hair hanging around her head.

Her hands were clinging to his face, trying to support him, to keep him awake. She was crying, begging him to hold on. But holding on was impossible. There was simply too much blood for only two hands.

The last thing he saw before his vision blackened for good, were the wet blue eyes of his long year partner, how she cried about him, calling his name over and over again. But he couldn´t hear her voice anymore.

...

Sylar sat in his cell, his head bowed down as if he was meditating. And in some way he was. When there was any truth in what people said about being imprisoned then it was this. One had a lot of time to think. And Sylar had a lot of things to think about.

It was quiet around him. The door was closed and obviously pretty soundproof, even if it wasn´t that thick. He had seen how thick it was and it wasn´t much. Even without his abilities he would be able to break it open, he´d decided. Of course that wouldn´t serve him very much, since there were guards out there, watching this door. But he would find a way. One day.

Until then he would watch … and keep quiet. He´d obviously convinced them that he was no immediate danger anymore, because they´d given up on keeping him bound to the stretcher all the time. They obviously found it more convenient to have him move on his own, to mind his daily business, than to always having to let him go and strap him back on, each time he needed to use the toilet. Good for him. The more room he had to move around, the better for his plans to kill those bastards.

So far they pretty much left him alone. They only came to him to get their damn samples from him. Mostly blood. So far they hadn´t "asked" him for more. Whatever their lab guys were trying to find out, seemed to be simple enough to get along with something as simple as blood.

Maybe they´re trying to find out if I´m pregnant, Sylar thought without any kind of humor.

He knew there was some guy working in the lab of this place. A so called scientist who was hired to find the answers. Sylar could only laugh. They should have taken Mohinder for that. If they really wanted some results they should have taken him, instead of killing him. Maybe that had been the plan. Maybe they really had wanted him but then some stupid asshole had fucked everything up and had placed a grenade at their car. Just one single idiot had been enough to end a life that was worth so much more than all these idiots together. And with that they hadn´t just defrauded themselves of a very resourceful man, who would have been a great asset for what they were trying to do here. No, they had also made an enemy that would remind them of this mistake when the time was up. Oh, yeah, Sylar would not allow them to ever forget that. Never.

Sylar felt the rage in his chest again and called himself to order. No emotions. Emotions made you sloppy. If he wanted to get out of here, he needed to focus. Calm down. Think. Wait. The time would come when he would get his chance and then he would hit back. Very hard. No one would live to tell what had happened. He would kill them all. Every single one of them. A blood bath earth had not seen in a very long long time. Just thinking of that helped him to stand the waiting time. Patience, he told himself. Patience. He knew what he had to do. And he knew how he would do it.

Garth, the guy that collected the samples, came every day at least once. He made his round to get his samples from every prisoner that was incarcerated in this facility. Sylar had no idea if he was the last on his round, but he knew he wasn´t the first. Garth had had some filled syringes with him last time he came here, that could only mean he´d been at some other cells before him. How many poor souls were kept in here, he wondered. It didn´t matter. He would find out soon enough.

Time went by. Sylar had no clock to be sure but he guessed it was several hours, until his door was opened at last. He looked up. The lock was turned and then the door went open, two guards with their guns stepping in first, before Garth finally entered. Sylar didn´t move. He looked at them without any kind of change in his expression.

Garth in his ridiculous lab coat – who was he trying to kid with that? – walked up to him, his syringe ready. The guards kept their guns trained on Sylar but Sylar only looked at them with a face as calm as a Tibetan monk. Garth took his syringe and brought it to Sylar´s arm. The needle, long and fragile, went into his vene. Sylar didn´t move – yet.

The syringe got filled with his blood in an experienced manner. Halfway through the process, Sylar finally did move. His head turned around to look at Garth. The guy halted for a second, unsure what would come. And then Sylar moved. He jerked his arm away from Garth and rammed his shoulder into his stomach. The man grunted and fell backwards to the floor.

Immediately the guards were at Sylar and rammed the barrels of their guns onto his back. Sylar felt as if something snapped and the pain shot through his spine and into his brain as well. His legs gave in and a few seconds later, he lay on the ground. His vision was blurred. When he looked up he could see Garth standing up, a little shaken but otherwise all right. The blood that covered his white lab coat wasn´t his. The man looked down on himself with a face of disgust.

„What were you trying to prove with that?" he asked the killer on the ground before him.

Sylar didn´t answer, he just grabbed his bleeding arm and pressed his hand over the wound. Garth just snorted and shook his head.

„Give him some bandages." he told the guards. „He can take care of that mess himself."

He bowed down and picked up the half filled syringe. Before he walked out he showed it to Sylar.

„You´ll pay for that needle." he promised him. With that he walked out.

Sylar didn´t say anything. He just looked after him, his hand protectively on the wound in his arm. And on what was inside of it.

No, he thought. You will pay for that needle. You and everyone else that comes in my way.

...

Mohinder´s first reaction when Garth walked into his lab with a bloody lab coat, was shock. But then he remembered who was Garth´s last stop before coming back here. Regarding the pissed expression on the man´s face, he couldn´t help but smirked.

„Did he try to kill you?" he asked, not even trying to hide his disappointment over the fact that Sylar hadn´t succeeded.

„Not quiet." Garth replied, as arrogant as ever. „He caused himself more damage than us."

Mohinder´s smile vanished immediately. „What happened?" he asked concerned.

Garth only gave him a cold snort and placed the blood samples and the used syringes on the table.

„He flinched." was all he said.

Mohinder held the cold and arrogant gaze of this bastard and fought with all his power against the urge to smash his face into a dozen pieces. Garth seemed to read that wish in his face but didn´t give him the satisfaction of a response. He only glared at him, speaking his warning without saying a single word, and then just turned around and left.

Mohinder looked at the samples on his table in silence. The broken off needle seemed to stand out of all the instruments as if Garth had placed it like that on purpose. Maybe he had.

Mohinder sighed. When he looked at Benny, the young man seemed very upset.

...

The guards led him to the door, their guns drawn and their posture tensed as if they were walking into a fight. Somehow Noah had the feeling that this was not because of him. He remembered that Sandy Morrigan´s ability was it to drain energy but the way these people acted now, he guessed that her power had increased since he´d heard of her last time.

That he ever heard of her again, was a whole chapter all on its own. It had been fifteen years and back then she´d still been a girl of fourteen. The way they´d parted ways hadn´t happened under the best circumstances. The way he remembered it, he only could hope that she was still as sweet and forgiving as she´d been when she was a kid.

One of the guards opened the door and the other one pushed him inside. The door was closed behind him very quickly. They really had to be afraid of breathing the same air as she did. When Noah saw her standing there, he could understand why.

She didn´t sit on the table that stood in the room. She´d been pacing as it seemed, her arms crossed before her chest. Now she looked at him and his heart skipped a beat at the recognition. It really was her. Sandy. The same sharp features, the same green eyes, the same golden hair. She´d grown a lot since then, her posture was so much stronger now, nothing left of the lost little girl he´d known back then.

This woman before him stood strong and almost hard in her posture. He only needed to look at her to know how strong her hands could be if she wanted to. Other people might think her a weak woman but Noah had an eye for people with abilities and this woman was strong. Not only her body but also her mind. But it was a hard strength, gained in who knew how many hours of torture she´d have to endure in here. And maybe already before she came here.

Noah had no idea what had happened to her since he´d abandoned her at the Canadian border fifteen years ago. No, not just abandoned, he corrected himself. Sold. Maybe not literally but it had felt like that. And when he looked into her eyes now he knew that she remembered it the same way.

She didn´t say anything. Not yet. But when her eyes had met his, her gaze had spoken loud and clear that she´d recognized him at once. Noah gulped. God, if she would only say something.

„Sandy." he addressed her carefully.

„You." was all she said.

Noah reached out his hand in a calming gesture. „I don´t know what they told you, but I´m not working for them." he hurried to say. „I´m their prisoner, just like you. I´m on your side."

Sandy frowned, ever so slightly and lowered her gaze for a moment.

„That´s what you said fifteen years ago." she recalled.

Noah sighed. „I know." he admitted. „I know, I let you down. And I´m terribly, terribly sorry for that. But I …"

„You promised me to get me out." she talked over him, her voice quiet and almost fragile. „That I would be save."

Noah stared into her eyes, so calm, so green.

„I know." he said. „I _wanted_ to help you. I just …"

„Then why didn´t you do it?" she talked over him once again. „Why did you hand me over to them?"

„They had my daughter." he revealed to her. „My little Claire-Bear. She was four at the time."

He shook his head, trying to fight the tears that wanted to come over him, just thinking back of that. Everything inside of him felt so weak all the sudden. It was no coincidence, he knew that. He´d been in tensing situations like that before and had never felt that tired after such a short time. He looked into Sandy´s eyes and they were as hard as always.

„You have to understand, Sandy." he kept talking. „When the Company wants something, they would not hesitate to use innocent lives to get it. They threatened to hurt my little girl if I wouldn´t hand you over. And they would have done it. They would have. I had no choice."

„You worked for them." she recalled, her voice even and almost soothing. „Your assignment was it to catch me. Wasn´t it?"

„Yes." he answered. Sweat was on his forehead but he knew it wasn´t because of the temperature. „Please, Sandy, you hurt me." he told her.

„Then why did you bring me to the border?" she just kept asking as if she hadn´t heard his pleading.

Noah looked into her green eyes.

„Because I saw my daughter in you." he told her frankly. „You were like her. A few years older but still. Lively. Innocent. Full of dreams. And scared. So scared, when we came to get you. The shelter you lived in gave you up pretty easily but you would never come with us freely. You tried to run. To get away. We had to chase you through the forest, almost the whole afternoon."

Sandy shook her head in confusion. „I don´t remember that." she said.

„No, of course not." Noah replied. „We wanted you to comply. So you mustn´t remember how scared you were of us. After we erased your memory, you were easier to handle."

Sandy´s eyes went even harder when she realized what they´d done to her. Noah immediately felt the pain in his insides again. It was a hollow pain as if something was ripped out of him, not quickly but slowly, and for good. As if she was draining his very soul and not just his energy.

„I´m so sorry for what we did to you." he told her. „When I saw you sitting in your corner, clinging to that little pillow that you´d brought with you …"

Sandy´s gaze broke and she gasped in silence. He seemed to have hit a nerve with this.

He remembered that pillow. It had been a small one with a dark green silk case. Sandy had never let go of it after leaving that shelter, not even when she´d tried to run from them. It had been dirty and ripped in many places when they´d caught her at last, but she still wouldn´t let go of it. She´d hugged it like a dear friend, her eyes far away in her own little world.

„I remember that pillow." she now said. „It was … green."

Noah looked at her and her eyes were as far away now as they had been back then, when she´d hugged that dirty pillow. For a moment she stayed wherever she was. But then her eyes focused and she looked at him again.

„I saw you sitting there." he went on. „And I thought … what if that would be my girl? What if they did something like that to my Claire? I didn´t want her to end like that. Never."

Sandy gulped. For the first time since he´d entered this room, she looked as if there were some emotions going on behind her stony mask.

„I wanted to help you." he repeated. „But they knew exactly how to get to me. And how to extort me. They used against me what made me want to help you in the first place. I´m so sorry that I let you down, Sandy."

„Did you get her back?" she asked him unexpectedly.

Noah needed a moment to understand what she was talking about. „Yes." he answered at last. „But they made very clear what would happen to her if I would ever try something like that again."

Noah doubled over and had to support himself on the table to not to stumble to the ground. His guts felt as if he had a hole somewhere in there. On the other side of the room, Sandy was looking down to the ground. She was not moving. She just stood there, thinking. Maybe trying to calm herself down. When she looked at him again, her eyes were hard again.

Noah shook his head. A part of him wanted to cry but somehow he couldn´t. He didn´t have the strength for tears anymore. If she would only say something. Anything. It was almost impossible to stand her accusing gaze. What would she do? Would she drain his energy until nothing of him was left? He was scared but even for fear, he felt too weak by now. His legs were shaking and after a while, his knees just gave in and he sank down, only held up by the table he leaned on.

Somehow he managed it to raise his head enough to look at Sandy. Her eyes were still hard. The only thing that told him that she was not indifferent about his fate, was the glistening tear that rolled down her cheek.

Noah opened his mouth but the voice that came out of it was barely more than a croak. Not enough to plead for his life convincingly. And if he was honest, he didn´t even know how to do that in the first place. Not with her.

„I´m so sorry that I let you down." he breathed.

Sandy closed her eyes and two big, pregnant tears fell down to the floor in the merciless silence of the room.

...

Outside Ashton sat behind his monitor and watched the test with great interest. How much longer he wondered. How long until Bennet would lose consciousness? And even more interesting … how many of these sessions would it need until he was nothing but a hollow shell? If it would ever come that far, that was.

No one could tell what she would do to him. Maybe he would recover all on his own. Or maybe she would drain all the life out of his body and his very soul, until nothing of him was left.

Once again. No one could tell. The tests would have to show.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update this time. But you know ... reviews always encourage me to poste quicker. *hint, hint***


	13. Breaking

**Breaking**

Sylar had no idea how much time had passed since his little bloody revolution on Garth, the arrogant bastard. His arm was bandaged by now and just as Garth had promised, they´d made him do it himself. But that had only been in his best interest. That way no one had payed any attention to his wound and to the fact that it had changed a little before he actually got around to bandage it. Now he sat on his stretcher again, just as always, as if there was nothing more interesting in this world than the floor.

He didn´t wait for anything specific. Technically he could have started right away, but in some way he wanted to wait for the right moment. And of course he needed his arm to get a little better. After this little incident they had given him a new shot of Glycimerine, just to make sure he wouldn´t get any ideas. That meant his wound wouldn´t heal for a while. And of course it meant that he was indeed without power, even if he would rip out the shunt right now. They knew that and they would come in and replace the damn thing immediately, as soon as they saw what he was doing, on their monitors.

Sylar knew that they watched him constantly. The little red light that blinked behind the ventilation grid had not slipped his attention. Neither had the two guards who had watched him bandage his wounds. One was a young guy of maybe twenty eight. The other was a little older but Sylar had noticed that he´d preferred one leg. So one of them was unexperienced and the other one disabled. If he got them the right way, he could handle them relatively easy. And he would make sure to get them the right way. He only needed to be quick.

Slowly he moved the fingers of his left hand, where he´d hidden the needle he´d broken off the syringe. It wasn´t long, only three centimeters, but for what he had in mind, he wouldn´t need much more. He turned his head around and peeked at the red light in the ventilation. It would me maximal a minute and the guards would get the word to come in here and stop him. As soon as he began there was no going back anymore. But then again … there had never been a going back, had there? Not since that accident in Switzerland. And they were the ones that had made sure of that.

Sylar got up. He walked around his stretcher in a calm manner, never even looking up, as if he was still in deep meditation. He passed the sink and went over to the toilet. But instead of using it, he halted for a moment and then kept walking until he was under the ventilation. By now they would probably wonder what the hell he was up to. Should they. They would know soon enough.

He opened the ventilation and reached inside, grabbed the camera and pulled. He didn´t quiet get it out but the cracking sounds he heard, were more than enough. If the screen, these people had been watching so far, was not full of snow by now, he had to rethink his estimation of modern surveillance systems.

He ripped the device one more time for good mesure and then let go of it, hurrying over to the door. On his way there he ripped the shunt out of his head. No matter how low the chances were that the drug would loos its effect on him any time soon, but he had to start when he had the chance. It hurt when he ripped it out. It hurt a lot, but he suppressed the pain. He needed to be ready for what would come next.

He could already hear the lock being turned and a moment later, the door was opened and the first guard rushed in. It was the younger one of the two. He had his gun straightened ahead, ready to shoot at first sight. Only that he didn´t even get a chance to see him. The moment, the muzzle of the gun poked around the door, Sylar grabbed it and pulled it up to the ceiling. With his left hand he rammed the needle into the man´s throat, effectively opening his jugular.

The second guard, the older guy, swirled around and aimed at him. Shots rang out but instead of hitting Sylar, the bullets perforated the back of the choking guard. Sylar shoved the dying man into the shooter, making him shift too much weight on his bad leg all at once. Before he could regain his balance, Sylar had taken the gun from the first man, and pulled the trigger. A short but very effective rattle echoed through the room and the two guards were no threat anymore.

But the guards who came running down the corridor were. Sylar fired a long salve into the hall, making them take cover and grabbed the second gun from the second dead guard, before running in the opposite direction. Behind the next corner he stopped though, and waited. His target was not to run away from them. Not his first target at least.

He waited until he heard their footsteps, close enough and then swirled around the corner, shooting off without even caring about aim. Accuracy through volume was more than enough for him right now. And it worked. The five men, who had expected him to be far ahead of them, didn´t even have time to flinch, when the bullets had already mowed them down. One of them managed it to pull the trigger of his own gun before he went down, but Sylar only needed to duck behind the corner to avoid those bullets.

After the sounds of the dropping bodies had ceased, he came out again and looked down on them. One of the five men was still alive. His hand was trying to grab his weapon but Sylar placed his foot down on it. He glanced at the dead bodies that lay around the place, counting them, and smiled down on the man before him.

„Congratulations." he said. „You are the lucky number seven. Seems I have a good start, huh?" With that he aimed at him and pulled the trigger. Seven for one. So far so good.

The alarm went off and echoed through the hallway. Sylar looked around for a moment and then smiled again. We have a winner, he thought and started to move again. You only need to cross the parcourt and kill every opponent on the way and you will have your prize. Let the game begin.

...

In his laboratory, Mohinder Suresh flinched and swirled around when the alarm went off all the sudden, echoing through the hallways outside of his lab. Scattered all over the facility, many people did the same in this moment. Molly Walker and her friend Sofia, who had been sitting on their table, eating their dinner. Micah Sanders and his uncle Joe, who´d been watching an old Frank Sinatra movie.

Sandy Morrigan who´d been pacing through her room. Noah Bennet who lay on the stretcher of his own cell exhausted and only half conscious. Shawn Spencer, who´d been sitting on the couch of his flat, staring at the empty wall. And of course lots and lots of guards who jumped up and grabbed their guns as soon as they realized that this alarm was no joke or mistake. Practically everything was in motion within only one minute.

...

„What is going on?" Mohinder Suresh demanded to know, when the guard that was posted at his door, stepped in his way, keeping him from going outside.

„You stay in here." was all the man would reply.

„If there´s anything going on …" Mohinder started but the guard talked right over him.

„You are still a prisoner and that means you go nowhere without permission."

„There is a situation." Mohinder argued.

„We can handle it." the guard assured him. „That is not your concern, doctor. You just go back to work."

„I was cooperative so far. I think a simple answer of what is going on, is not too much to ask."

„This is not for you to decide. Now go back to your microscope or I strap you to your chair."

Mohinder stood straight against this arrogant guard, not skipping back but even taking a step forward. „You try it." he challenged him.

The man took a step toward him but before anything else could happen, little Benny had a moment of bravery, placing himself between the two men, shoving Suresh back with a gesture that begged him to be reasonable.

„I find out what it is." he promised and then faced the guard. „I´m not a prisoner. I am allowed to leave the lab, right?"

The man with the gun looked down on the skinny guy for a moment and the rolled his eyes and stepped aside. „Knock yourself out." he said.

Benny threw one last glance at Mohinder and then passed the guard and left the lab. A second after he was gone, Mohinder regretted that he hadn´t stopped him. No matter if the guard had denied him an answer his question or not, a screaming alarm like that could not mean anything good. Even though Mohinder wasn´t sure about the meaning of the word good in this case, but it was definitely a dangerous situation this poor guy was running into right now.

...

Another team of guards came running down the hallway. They didn´t know where the prisoner was exactly, since he´d shot the cameras in this section. But they knew he had to be here somewhere. They decreased their speed when they approached the corner, two of the five men taking the lead. After they´d given the all clear, the team went on.

Ahead of the corridor behind the next corner, they heard shots and sped up again. The shots kept coming and the five men ran around the corner, their guns ready to shoot the culprit. But instead of Sylar they found something else behind that corner and that something made them trip and hit the ground. The dead body of the guard, someone had placed there, made three of them entangle in a knot. The quick stop of the two others, didn´t save them from the gas grenade though.

All the sudden a clacking sound was audible and then the air was full of white gas. Only a few seconds later this gas was accompanied by bullets. The two standing men cried out and dropped to the ground. The three men on the ground struggled to stand back up, but before they had a chance to get their orientation back, a figure had appeared behind the gas cloud, an MP in his hands, aiming at them. Again shots were ringing out and again lives were wiped out.

Sylar stood there for a moment and looked at the heap of bodies. A heap that was only a scheme behind the gas to him.

„That makes thirteen." he said into the hall. „Unlucky for some. You guys shouldn´t have been so well equipped."

His smile vanished when he heard a sound behind him at the end of the corridor. He immediately grabbed the gun tighter and made his way over there. He believed it had been a door he´d heard. Were they trying to trick _him_ this time? Should they try. He was only too eager to jump through their hoops and to bludgeon them to death with that very hoop right afterwards. The score was thirteen for one so far. Still far too less for that one he tried to repay.

He heard footsteps. Not running and not sneaking. Stumbling. Someone coughed. A thin voice. That was something he hadn´t expected. That was no guard. That sounded like …

Benny stumbled around the corner, his hand waving before his face against the gas in the hall. When he saw Sylar, standing there with the MP in his hand, his eyes went big.

„You …" he started but got cut off when Sylar grabbed his collar and pressed him against the wall.

„You shouldn´t have come here, Benny." Sylar hissed. „That´s not a good place for you to be."

„Please." the boy whined. „Please, don´t hurt me. I didn´t do anything to you."

Sylar stared at the tiny creature before him and hesitated. He had no time to deal with him. He had something to do. He had the guards to take care of. And Harris. He´d just started. God alone knew how many more of them he would have to kill before he was finished.

So he let go of the writhing boy and took a step back.

„You should …" he started but in this moment there were new footsteps behind him and he swirled around. Too late this time.

The shots were ringing out before he had the time to aim his own gun at them and at least a dozen bullets made their way into his vital organs. Sylar could feel the hot pain when his body received the deadly presents. Warm liquid ran down his chest and belly, colouring his white shirt in deep red.

The guards that had snuk up on him while he´d been distracted by little Benny, surrounded him, their guns still ready to shoot. But that wasn´t necessary.

Sylar´s body was still effected by the drug they´d given him and thus his wounds couldn´t heal to save him from these injuries. Slowly his legs gave in and then, as if pushed by an invisible hand, he just dropped to the ground. Thirteen, he thought, while his body and mind began to cease function. Thirteen for one. Far too less still. Far too less.

A moment later everything went dark.

...

The morgue was empty. Not even the lights were on. The only light was the one that fell in through the door, from outside. The coroner would not be here until two days from now, he was on a conference out of town, Juliet knew that. But she wasn´t here to ask for the results of the autopsie. She didn´t need the autopsie to tell her how her partner had died. She´d been there. She´d seen it. She´d held him in her arms when he´d closed his eyes and left this world forever.

No, the reason why she was here was much simpler. She needed to be alone with him. To see him again. To convince herself that it had truly happened and that it hadn´t been just a horrible nightmare.

But the name on the list that lay on the table, was unmistakable. Carlton Lassiter, head detective. Juliet closed her eyes. That couldn´t be. It had to be a mistake. He just couldn´t be gone. Not like this. Not him.

Her legs were moving all on their own, carrying her over to the coolers. Her hand took the handle and she drew it open. The body in it was covered. It´s not him, she kept telling herself in her mind. Somehow we made a mistake. We thought it was him, for what reason ever, but we only thought it was him. But it wasn´t him. It can´t be. When I uncover his face now, I will be surprised by how obvious the difference is and I will wonder how I could have thought that this man was Carlton. My partner. My friend.

She closed her eyes for a moment and then brought her hand to the cover to reveal the face. But just in the moment when she was about to touch it, a cold fear gripped her heart and she just couldn´t do it. No, this was impossible. It wasn´t Carlton that lay there before her. It mustn´t be.

Steeling herself with that conviction, she forced her hand forward and uncovered the body. The familiar face of her partner lay there, pale and motionless, his eyes only halfway closed, the pupils behind his lids, dead and unseeing.

Juliet uttered a tiny scream and skipped back, her legs shaking violently. She held her hands before her mouth to keep her screams inside. Her back hit the wall and her legs gave in.

Someone was calling her name and a moment later a pair of strong arms held her up to keep her from falling. Juliet turned her head and looked into the concerned face of Henry Spencer. The compassion she saw in his usually so stern eyes, was enough to break her down for good and she hugged him, sobbing violently.

„God, Juliet." Henry moaned rubbing her back comfortingly. „Why did you come down here?"

But she couldn´t answer him. Her mind had logged out for the time being and all she could do was crying. She only noticed like through a gaze that he was leading her away, out of the morgue. Sometime later she found herself sitting on a table, a hot steaming mug of tea before her.

There were people with her in the room, she noticed. When she looked around, she realized it was Gus, who sat opposite of her, regarding her with a compassionate gaze. He was still crying himself, she could see that and for a moment she felt bad because of that, knowing that it was probably _her_ tears that had caused him to cry along with her.

„It´s all right, Gus." she assured him with a thick voice. „I´m all right now."

He looked at her, asking her only with his eyes if she was sure and she nodded. He closed his eyes in relieve for a moment and two more tears dropped out of his eyes. Juliet looked down on the mug in her hands.

„I don´t know." she said quietly. „I think, I just … needed to see him. With my own eyes. One last time."

„I know." Gus choked. „I can´t believe it myself."

Henry stepped behind Gus and lay a fatherly hand on his shoulder for a moment. It seemed to help. Gus sniffed for a moment and then tried to get a grip.

Juliet held her mug for another minute. After that had passed she forced her own mind back into gear.

„Please tell me that we have something to bust these bastards." she spoke up, looking at Henry.

The elder Spencer looked back at her with a gaze she didn´t like.

„I´m afraid not, detective." the warm voice of the chief spoke up behind her.

Juliet turned around to look at her. Karen´s eyes were as caring as Henry´s, but there was also something official in them that made Juliet feel as if she had to take responsibility for something that had gone dead wrong. And wasn´t that true? Something had gone dead wrong. Oh, yes, it had.

„What do you mean, chief?" she managed to ask.

For a moment the official look in the chief´s eyes was gone and the woman before Juliet was nothing else but Karen Vick. But that moment didn´t last very long. Police business was business and that was the way, she would handle it.

„The man that got shot down behind that warehouse was a well known junkie, detective." she told Juliet. „There were some drugs found near his body. The way it looks like, you interrupted a drug deal that went wrong … and detective Lassiter payed the price for that."

„Chief." Juliet burst out. As much as her weak condition allowed her to burst out.

„We followed that van down to that dock from the Roth mansion." Henry stated, more fiercely than she could do it. „There has to be a connection. They were waiting there for us."

„And how do you want to prove that, Henry?" Karen asked, not less exhausted as they were. „There was no van, when our people arrived and since you say that you have no plate to work with …"

„This is impossible." Henry burst out. „We can´t let them get away with this. They killed one of us."

„I know that, Henry. Detective Lassiter was my friend too. But the way things look like, we don´t have anything. We can´t prove that it was Harris who did this. We can´t even prove that this van has ever been there. And even if we could, we could not prove that it had anything to do with what killed detective Lassiter." She looked at him and it was obvious that she wanted to cry too. „I´m sorry but we can´t do anything." she said with a shaking voice.

„They killed my partner." Juliet spoke up, her own voice hard and quavering. „I´ll be damned if I can´t do anything."

„Detective." chief Vick said but Juliet just talked over her.

„They killed. My partner." she repeated looking straight into the chiefs eyes. „I don´t care behind how many tricks he hides. I will find the man responsible for that. And I will bring him to justice."

Karen Vick just stared at her detective silently. Not even she knew what to say anymore. There was nothing she or anyone could say anyway. She´d never seen Juliet O´Hara´s eyes look that hard since she knew her. The room was silent for a long time.

...

It was a frustrating sight. They´d just thrown him onto the stretcher after they´d shot him. They hadn´t even cared to cover him with a blanket or something. Anything to cover the blood. So much blood. The deep red that stood out so strong against the paleness of his skin.

Mohinder wondered if it was because he´d lost so much blood or if it was the drugs they´d given him on this constant base. He tried to remember if Sylar had been pale back in New York when the Company had kept him drugged like that, but this memory seemed to have abandoned him.

He sighed. Sylar´s escape attempt had come a little faster than he´d expected. But what he´d expected even less was this outcome. If he´d only known. Maybe he would have been able to do something to support him. Maybe if he´d been a little faster himself … if he hadn´t hesitated.

„You wanted to work with your subjects more directly." Harris stated and stepped to his side. „Here you go."

Mohinder threw him a dark glare. „You are insane." he spat.

Harris only shrugged. „Just a little setback."

„A little setback?" Mohinder couldn´t believe what he heard. „You killed him."

„And now we´re bringing him back." Harris replied unimpressed by the geneticist´s scandalized tone. He pointed at the dead Sylar. „Take your sample and then leave." he ordered.

Mohinder stared at this man before him, clenching his jaw in frustration. But in the end he had no other option but to do what he wanted. So he took his sample from Sylar´s arm and placed a small plaster on the puncture his needle had left. A useless gesture, considering that the patient was dead anyway, but he just couldn´t help it. He was about to take the second syringe, when Harris stepped forward.

„All right, that´s enough." he said. „You can leave now."

„I could extract some spinal fluid too." Mohinder said irritated. „As long as he´s out he won´t feel the …"

„We take care of the spinal fluid, doctor." Harris talked over him. „Don´t worry, you´ll get your sample."

In this moment Mohinder understood everything. „You want to torture him with that." he spoke it out. „Then why did you bring me here if not to let me do it as long as he can´t feel the pain?" he shouted but looking into Harris´ face made him understand once again. „You wanted me to see that, didn´t you? To show me what would happen if I´d try to …"

„You are very bright, doctor." Harris said. „That´s a good thing. I hope your memory is as good as your analytic brain. You don´t want your friend to have suffered for nothing, do you? Or anyone else for that matter?"

Molly. Mohinder had to suppress the urge to strangle that man before him. In this moment he hated Harris with all his heart. For the fact that he had incarcerated Molly in here as if she were a criminal. That he dared it to threaten him with the girl´s safety. For the work he forced him to do in here and for the way he treated Sylar, Shawn and all the others. Even though it wasn´t Harris himself who did those things, who would stick this long needle into Sylar´s neck to torture him, who aimed and shot the guns in case of an escape attempt. But it was him who´d given the order, who´d arranged this whole insanity.

Neither of them would be here if it hadn´t been for him and for that Mohinder wanted him to pay. He wanted him to feel the pain that he´d made Molly and the others go through. This time he hadn´t been ready for the riot, but next time he would. And he would get Harris for what he´d done when this day was there.

He threw one last regretful look at the (still) dead man on the stretcher and then faced Hawk again. The Commander looked back at him with a blank face. Mohinder gritted his teeth. But once again he had no other option left but to turn around and leave. One day Hawk would pay for that. He would see to it. Or maybe Sylar would do it. Whoever of them would get to him first.

...

It was dark. The pain. He could remember it. Dull and aching. Throbbing in his mind as well as in his body. The first kind maybe even worse. But right now it was the later that seemed to be the center of what was happening to him.

He knew it wasn´t his own body that did the healing. When that happened it felt different, somehow more … real. This time it felt like something that was forced onto him, as if someone was raping life back into his body and mind. Slowly the darkness faded away from him and brought him back into the light of the world. The world of life.

Sylar opened his eyes and a shock ran through his mind. A second later his lungs started to work again and he drew in a loud and rasping breath. What had happened? Where was he? This wasn´t C.E.R.N. was it? Where was Mohinder?

On the edge of his mind he noticed that someone was standing next to him and he turned his head. But it wasn´t Mohinder who stood there. It was a little girl with long dark hair and frightened dark eyes. Someone had hooked her to a machine so Sylar assumed that she was not here on her own free will. When his gaze fell upon her, she skipped back from him, a scared frown on her tiny forehead.

He leaned sideways and reached out for her. „Who are you?" he managed to bring out.

Someone stepped up behind her. A man with a gun. When Sylar saw the uniform, he remembered where he was and why he was here. He´d tried to run and he´d failed. He´d killed thirteen of them on his way but in the end they had shot him down. Had killed him. Just like they had killed Mohinder.

Again he could feel the hate in his heart. The girl saw the change in his eyes and skipped back even more. Or better she tried to. The solder behind her lay a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place. Still the girl didn´t seem to notice that hand on her shoulder. All her attention was on Sylar. Her whole body was tensed while she looked at him with that careful and, yes, hateful frown on her face.

„You know me." Sylar realized all the sudden and for a moment the hate against these men was forgotten. All he saw right now was this strange little girl, that he´d never seen in his life. But she knew him nevertheless. How? But then he knew how.

„Someone told you about me." he spoke it out. „Who told you about me?"

„Don´t bother asking her anything." a voice that was only too familiar spoke up behind him. „She won´t be able to answer you. She can´t talk." Hawk placed himself right in front of Sylar. „You can be glad that we have our dear Sofia here." he stated matter of factly. „Otherwise you´d be dead by now."

The killer checked the rest of his surroundings and saw the four guns that were trained on him. Of course. Hawk wouldn´t have been so brave to come that close to him, if he hadn´t had his men at hand. Especially since Sylar wasn´t bound or anything. If he wanted to, he could reach him. Of course they would shoot him the moment he moved, but maybe he would have enough time to rip out Hawk´s throat before he went down.

But regarding the way this little girl looked at him already, he figured it was not a good idea to add such a sight to her memories. She was only eleven or twelve. Not necessary to traumatize her like that.

So he faced Hawk with his darkest glare instead, satisfying himself with the thought that it was only the presence of the girl that saved him.

„You could have let my own healing do the job." he told this man that had killed his friend and that he would kill soon enough.

„And lower your drug level?" Hawk replied. „No. You just proved that this would be a bad idea. Although I must admit, I underestimated you. That was one hell of a trick. And that without any powers. Impressive."

„I told you, I´d kill you."

„Well, I´m still here."

„Tell that your men."

Hawk raised a brow and turned around to his guards for a moment.

„My men know the risk, this job requires." he stated. „But you´re absolutely right. I can´t let you go unpunished for what you did."

He snapped his fingers and in this moment three things happened at once. The guard that had his hand on the girl´s shoulder, left the room with her, two men stepped forward to hold Sylar and a third one came in, holding a big syringe that looked awfully familiar to Sylar.

„We are going to take a sample from you." Hawk told him. „I used to instruct my men to be gentle if possible. But in this case, I guess we make an exception."

Sylar tensed. He pushed himself against the stretcher and made the thing fall over. The two soldiers struggled for a moment but only a moment later they were accompanied by a third man and together they pushed Sylar down to the ground. One of them pushed his knee into Sylar´s back and another one held his head pressed down to the floor.

„You make it only harder for yourself." Hawk told him and then he ordered: „Take the sample."

Sylar took some quick breaths, waiting for the pain to start. When it came it felt as if someone shot him in the neck with a glowing hot bullet. He screamed.

* * *

**Sorry, still no Shawn in this chapter. Well ... he was mentioned. Just remember, he´s always there, in our minds and in the minds of the people who care for him. I hope that helps to stand the waiting until we see him again for real.**

**That might happen faster with some nice reviews ;-)**


	14. Directional Change

**Directional Change**

Sylar lay on his prison cell bed and stared up at the ceiling. His whole body was hurting like hell. Since the drugs suppressed his healing powers, the extraction of his spinal fluid had left him almost immobile for the rest of the day. Probably intentionally. Probably to destroy all hope for an escape. It did´t work.

Sylar lay there and remembered a day that had happened almost a year ago, in a motel in Santa Barbara. Mohinder had asked him for a sample of his spinal fluid and he´d agreed, knowing how painful it was. He´d agreed because it had been Mohinder who´d asked him and because he´d been hopeful, that the geneticist would be able to heal him with the tests he wanted to run. Heal him from his hunger. The hunger to kill. The hunger that was now so strong in his mind that it almost overpowered everything else.

His hand reached over to the crook of his arm and stroke over the plaster that he´d found there. It was still a mystery to him. They hadn´t cared a bit about the stitch in his neck after they´d tortured him with that extraction, but they´d taken care of a small thing like that? That didn´t make any sense. Why would they do that?

The only answer he found to that question, was simple. They wouldn´t. And that only left one other explanation. Someone else had done it. Maybe someone they´d forced to work for them. Like Benny?

Sylar was pretty sure that the boy was not here because he liked it so much to be their servant. Maybe he was a prisoner too. Or at least something similar. But one thing was for sure. The guy was caring. Caring enough to treat a puncture site with a plaster?

Sylar wasn´t sure. But Benny was the only one that came to his mind who could have done this. Either that or someone else, who he hadn´t seen yet.

The door was opened and someone walked in. Sylar turned his head, and saw Benny, bringing him his food, just like every day. He put it on the table and then looked at him, uncomfortable.

„How do you feel?" he asked him.

„Why do you care how I feel?" Sylar replied. „I could have killed you today."

„But you didn´t." Benny shrugged. „I don´t blame you for trying to escape. Many of them do that."

Sylar listened up. „How many?"

„We had three that were not as lucky as you are." Benny told him.

Sylar chuckled dryly. „Yeah." he said, facing the ceiling again. „I´m one lucky guy."

Benny lowered his gaze for a moment, before looking at the food again.

„Do you … do you need any help with …?" he asked, pointing at the table.

„I could need some help to get out of here." Sylar said, not looking at him.

„Oh, yeah." Benny replied eagerly. „Sure."

A moment later, he was at Sylar´s side and helped him to sit up. The killer accepted the helping hand but only because he was too weak to protest anyway.

„Thanks." he groaned after this piece of work was finished, leaning on his knees. „But that was not what I meant."

„I … I´m afraid, that´s all I can do." the young guy said.

Sylar threw him a long glance. „I think you could do more, Benny."

For a moment the young man seemed reluctant. But he´d understood the message quiet well. There was something in his eyes, Sylar noticed, something like a glowing of excitement, that didn´t make much sense. But it was gone too quickly for Sylar to be sure. After a while, Benny opened his mouth again.

„I could talk to Mr. Harris." he offered. „I could convince him that you´re ready to cooperate. Then he might be ready to lower your dose, so you could heal better."

Still not what Sylar´d meant, but it was enough to make him interested. „Do you have that much influence on him?" he asked the boy.

Benny just shrugged. „He likes me. I know him since I was a kid. You want me to ask him for you?"

After a moment of consideration, Sylar lowered his eyes and nodded.

„Sure." he said. „Why not."

Benny nodded back at him, eagerly, already turning around to rush out of the door, when he stopped, hesitating.

„Only …" he turned back around, uncertain. „When I tell him that, he´ll expect you to really … you know … cooperate. I mean, I want to help you, but when I tell him something and he sees that this was a lie … I don´t want to make him mad."

„Don´t worry." Sylar gave him a weak smile. „You wouldn´t lie."

„Really?" Benny seemed rather happy over that promise. „Okay. I talk to him."

With that he turned around and left.

Sylar sat on his bed for a long time and just thought. He hadn´t asked him about the plaster he realized. But maybe that was something he didn´t even need to know. Soon he would get a chance to ask much more important questions than that.

...

„-addieeeee!" the boy squealed happily and ran into his father´s arms, full speed. Hawk almost didn´t catch him. But then his fingers got a grip around his son´s waist and he lifted him up, making the kid giggle with joy.

„It´s daddy, Danny." he corrected him patiently. „Can you say daddy? Daddy."

„Da-iii" the kid yelled with a wide smile. „Da-iii."

Hawk smiled patiently. „Why do I get the feeling that you´re mocking me?" he asked and got a new load of giggles from his son.

„-ofi- ahh." Danny yelled next. „-ofi-aaahh!"

Hawk frowned alarmed. That was not good. He immediately checked if anone had heard the kid say that name and flinched, when Amanda was already standing next to him, a startled frown on her forehead.

„What did you say, honey?" she asked Danny.

„I think he means, office." Hawk hurried to beat his son. „Daddy has to work the office again today. Right."

„-ofi-aahh." Danny shouted.

„Yeaaaah." Hawk said and ruffled his son´s hair. „You´re absolutely right. Daddy really has some work to do in his office."

He sat the boy down and Danny immediately ran over to Aaron, the old butler, to be lifted up by him.

„Would you wait in the car with him, Aaron?" Amanda asked. „I´ll be right there."

The old man nodded and gave the boy a bright smile, when he grabbed for his nose. They left the house, laughing, like the bosom buddies that they were.

Hawk turned to his wife. The frown on her forehead was still there.

„Are you all right?" he asked her.

„Yes." she assured him quickly. „Yes. It´s just those doctor appointments with Danny … They tend to drain my energy."

„I know. You should take the rest of the day off when you´re done. The files can wait a day, until you´re better rested."

„No, that´s not it." Amanda replied, still frowning contemplatively. „I feel … rested. I mean …" she shook her head and looked at him, still with this confused frown. „Isn´t it funny how quickly I fell asleep yesterday? I can barely remember that I went to bed."

„You were sleep deprived." Hawk said with a shrug. „You´re working too hard. Especially lately."

„Of course, I do. Your boss has been kidnapped and we still don´t know what happened to him. Some preparations have to be made in case we get the call."

„I know, you´re right." he hurried to calm this hurricane, he knew his wife could become if she wanted to. It worked. Her fire subsided, a little.

„Still." she shook her head. „I can´t remember a time when I was that sleep deprived, that I couldn´t remember going to bed."

„You are only human too, honey." Hawk smiled. „Someday everybody reaches a limit."

„I just … didn´t feel as if I was at my limit." she said uncertain.

„Just accept that you´re human and you´ll see that this is no shame." he said with a warm smile.

This time when she looked up at him, she let go of her hard thinking face and smiled back at him.

„Maybe you´re right." she said. „Maybe I really should take the day off."

„Take care of Danny, that is more than enough work for this day." Hawk advised her. „It´s the perfect weather for a walk in the park."

Amanda looked outside. „Yeah, that´s true. We haven´t done that in a while."

„He´ll love it." Hawk assured her.

„He would love it even more, if you could come, too." she replied.

„I know. But you heard what he said. Daddy has to work the office today. And he´s right. There´s a lot of stuff left over from these last few days. If I don´t do that now, I´ll never get it done."

„Talk about reaching the limit, huh?" she teased him.

„Probably. But I´m still in the game. And so are you. As soon as you had some time off. See you in the evening?"

„Sure."

She leaned in and kissed him quickly goodbye. Hawk wanted to believe that this brief uncertain glance, she threw him a second before she walked out, had not been there. But he was a soldier for too long, to do so. Just for a moment it had been there and then she was gone. Hawk sighed.

Someone stepped up behind him. It was Ashton. Hawk threw him a wary glance but refused to look at this man longer than a second.

„Seems the girls will have the garden all for themselves." he mentioned. „They have three hours. I don´t know when Amanda decides to come home."

Ashton never gave a response. He just smiled and walked away to get the kids.

...

Shawn walked up and down his flat-cell, nervously. He´d been very surprised when Hawk had granted his wish to speak to the girl, but who was he to question a luck like that? Not after …

He shook his head and went on pacing. Strange. He felt like a nervous guy, waiting for his date. The kid was eleven. And a magic healer. In his mind she was like a goddess of life and death, that lived in the body of a child only by coincidence. But that was stupid. She was just a kid.

The lock was turned and he swirled around to the door, feeling sweat break out on his forehead. Dammit, what the hell was the matter with him? He was only about to face his saviour after all.

The door was opened and the guard led the girl inside. Her long dark hair floating around her pale skin and shoulders, her big blue eyes open, taking in everything that happened with great care.

She looked at him and Shawn thought: Goddess.

Of course he didn´t say it. Instead he smiled widely.

„Hi." he greeted her. „My, if you are not a sweety. So glad you could make it. You want a pineapple smoothy? Unfortunately I don´t have one. They´ll not give me that, so we´ll just have to pretend that we have one, okay?"

The girl looked at him uncertain, a smirk playing on her lips. Shawn turned to the guard.

„Could we have a minute in private, Private?" he asked.

The man curled the corner of his mouth about the silly joke, but left the room, closing the door behind him. When Shawn turned back to Sofia, the girl pointed at the ceiling, at the camera. Shawn waved his hand.

„I know they´re watching." he said. „Never mind." he went to the couch and sat down.

Sofia followed him, taking a seat in the armchair opposite of him. For a moment they just sat there and Shawn felt that he was struggling for words. Damn, that never happened to him. Never.

„I just wanted to …" he started and had to restart. „You … healed me." he said. „A couple of times by now. Brought me back from the dead." He chuckled. „Not that it was the first time for me. Because it wasn´t. I´ve been there, believe me. Talked about it with my buddy. Gus. My best buddy. I know him since we were kids, making po-po into our diapers. So if anyone would know how I felt after that … experience … it should be him, right?"

Shawn stopped, studying Sofia´s face. She was listening very closely to what he said, an expression of careful sympathy in her eyes. He mentally went back to what he´d been talking about and shook his head, laughing at himself.

„He couldn´t give me any answers back then." he told her. „And I doubt that you can give me any now … not really. But … let´s just say, I never stop hoping, so …"

He halted for a second, unsure about her reaction. The expression in her eyes hadn´t changed much. She was still listening but she seemed unsure about what he wanted from her. He laughed.

„I don´t really know what I want to say." he admitted. „Or … how to ask …" He laughed again. „But I think you know what I mean … Of course, you do. You seem very mature for your age. My dad would say I could learn a lesson from you. And I bet Lassie would prefer you over working with me, any time. Because he always complains about me talking too much." he laughed. „No offence, by the way. I know you can´t talk. That was just … Sorry." He halted again. „I´m rambling, ain´t I?"

She nodded and he laughed again, running his hand through his hair.

„I know. Sorry. Maybe Lassie is right, after all. Wow. Don´t tell him that I ever said that." Shawn took a breath. „Well … all I wanted to know … or say …" He gestured at her with is open hand. „You did it. Saved me, from being dead. I guess that´s what you do. Bringing people back."

Now there was a change in her face. It looked sad all the sudden. Not much, just a tiny change in the way she frowned, so subtle that one could easily overlook it. But Shawn saw it. And seeing that reaction, made him crave even more for this answer.

„What is it like?" he asked her. „To reach between this … border and bring someone back? Is there something like a … I don´t know. A sphere, where you find the souls … or something like that? What is it? _How_ is it?"

Sofia lowered her eyes, thinking, as if she was unsure and tried to remember. Eventually she started to write something down, quickly as if she needed to get it out before it burned her from the inside. When she was done, she ripped the paper off her notepad and handed it over, an expression on her face that was as hard as a stone, but pleading like the little girl that she was.

Shawn read the note: _„It´s very dark. And it feels like walking through hell. Death is watching me steal his pray when I do it. He doesn´t like it. He scares me. That one day he´ll make me pay for cheating him all the time."_

Like in Final Destination, it shot through Shawn´s head, but when he looked up at the girl, the reference kept stuck in his throat. She was pleading with her eyes, tears swelling up in them, almost dropping out. And in this moment, he understood how wrong he´d been. This girl was no goddess or magician or anything like that. She was just a girl, born with a gift that was too big for her to understand it, and frightened about it, just like he was frightened.

He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping it would sooth her fears a little.

„Death is not a person." he told her. „It´s just a … a state. Something that … happens. And you can make it undone, if you want to. And I´m glad you wanted to in my case."

She smiled at him, gratefully. The tears in her eyes dropped out, not dangerous any longer, and she quickly wiped them away.

„It´s a great gift you have." Shawn told her. „Really great. And you know what? I bet you´d be a great doctor." Sofia laughed silently. „I mean it." Shawn insisted. „One day you´d win the Pulitzer Prize."

She frowned and he knew that had been wrong.

„That … prize, people get when they do something really great for science and stuff. You probably know the name."

She smiled and he raised a hand to his temple.

„Yes, I can see it very clearly. One day you´ll stand in front of many people in lab coats, who´ll applaude you. You´ll be a great doctor. Healing many people. Saving the world."

Her smile was gone now, not completely but it had become very small, and her eyes were serious again. So serious, considering if she could dare to believe what he told her. And she was grateful.

The door was opened and the guard stepped back in.

„Sofia Ramanova." he spoke. „Your time is up." A little softer, he added: „Your friends are waiting for you to go outside."

Sofia threw her head around, back to Shawn, making her hair fly wildly around her head. The smile was back at last and she hurried to write something down for him.

„_Hang on just a little longer."_ stood on the note she gave him.

With that she walked out, leaving him behind, wondering what she´d meant with that. Somehow he had a bad feeling about it.

...

She knew they were watching. They had let them out here to be in the sun and play a little on the fresh air, like the kids they saw in them. But they were still watching their every move, just like the prisoners that they were. But she was watching too. And she didn´t need to look at them to watch. She didn´t even need her eyes to see them.

Molly lay on the floating air bed, drifting in the middle of the pool, as if she was sunbathing, while Sofia and Micah were swimming around her. Hawk and his men had done everything possible to bribe them, even provided them with bathing suits, all of them the right size, so they could play and swim in the pool – which was exactly, what Micah and Sofia were doing right now.

They were playing hide and seek or something similar. It didn´t really matter. Their game was a pure act, just the way Molly´s sunbath was an act. For real they were only waiting for her to finish her examination of the area around the mansion. The activities, the guards, maybe even hikers that were in the area. All the things that could matter in their soon to be attempted escape.

But it was tough. Not just the escape attempt itself. Alone concentrating on it was a tough thing. There were so many things on her mind right now. Mohinder was only one on her list. She knew he was against the idea of them trying this. But she just had to do it. Afterwards he would understand. Considering of course, that they would succeed.

But they just had to succeed. Every other possibility was simply no option. Every single one of these possibilities would be devastating. Especially after she´d seen what had happened to Noah Bennet.

After Sofia had told her about that man with the horn rimmed glasses, that she´d brought back to life the other day, Molly had searched him in her mind. And she´d found him. In one room with Sandy Morrigan, only half alive after she´d drained his energy. Whatever reason Bennet had had to come here, it had not done him any good.

But alone the fact that he was here, was a reason for her to hope. When Bennet was here, it meant there was hope that others were out there too. People who would only wait for someone – them – to get out of here and tell them how to get into that place and free the prisoners.

Molly had felt hope in her chest that Matt could be one of them, but when she´d searched him in her mind, she´d found him far away from here. He was with his family and had probably no idea, where she was and what had happened to her. If he knew, he´d be here already. But he wasn´t. So this hero of hers, would not come to her rescue. But she just knew that there were others out there. She simple didn´t know who they were. But she would know soon enough.

Molly knew the spot they would have to take. A hidden spot, not very big, but perfect for what they planned. The guards would not see them there, as long as they weren´t standing right next to them. And when they were fast, they could make it. They could make it. But they had to be careful. They guards must not suspect anything.

Molly opened her eyes and took a moment to reorient herself. After that moment had passed, a splash of water hit her. She looked around and saw Micah in the water beside her. He was smiling but his eyes were telling a different story. He was asking her with his eyes if she had good news for them.

Molly put on a wide smile, just like his and let herself roll off the air bed and into the water, splashing water at Micah in the process. He ducked away and shoved some more water at her. They started to laugh and kept up the game for a while. Sofia joined them, until they swam to the edge of the pool together, pretending to rest there.

„What is it?" Micah whispered at her. „What did you see?"

Molly threw a glance over to the guards, positioned around the garden.

„The street is in that direction." she told her friends, pointing out the direction by looking over the garden. „It goes all the way to the city." She met the waiting gazes of her two companions and had to force herself to speak it out. „Fourteen miles." she said.

Micah exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. „If we actually stay on that road, they´ll catch us." he said.

„I know." Molly agreed. „But there´s a house only four miles from here. On a lake. The street passes it about a mile or so. There are people there. If we can make it there, they can call the police."

Micah and Sofia looked at her, considering her words. After another moment, they both nodded. Molly mirrored their nod. She threw another checking glance at the guards and shoved a new wave of water at her two companions.

The two of them ducked away and laughed. Molly shoved herself out of the water and sat down on the edge, letting her legs dangle in the water.

„There´s a spot over there at the fence." she kept telling them. „The bushes are growing big there. We can pretend to play hide and seek. Pretty much what they expect us to do."

Sofia reached out her hand and when she touched the surface of the water, she made a juggling motion, as if it was electrifying her. Molly understood. She looked at Micah, asking.

„I can turn it off." he assured them. „But after we´re outside …"

„I know." Molly said, biting her lip. „We need to be quick. Maybe we can create a diversion."

Micah looked over to the house for a moment, thinking this over. „Maybe I have an idea." he said eventually.

Molly followed his gaze. The glas door that led into the big kitchen was there. Even without knowing what his plan could be, she trusted him. He would do something good, she knew that.

„There are only three guards." she told them. „And four more around the mansion." Micah and Sofia nodded again. They all agreed on that one thought. If they were fast, they could make it. They could make it.

„All right." Molly murmured, looking at the guards once again. „They´re still watching us. But if we act harmless enough, they´ll lower their guard eventually."

„You know what that means, girls." Micah spoke, looking at them secretively.

Without saying another word he let himself drop backwards into the water and floated there for a second. Molly had never noticed how well build her old friend was and she sure as hell didn´t want to see him like that, especially not in this moment. But looking at him now, she just couldn´t help but notice.

Micah smiled mischievously and then paddled his legs to drown them in a new splash of water.

„We have to act like kids." he finished, telling them his secret plan.

Molly and Sofia looked at each other and agreed in silence about their own plan, that had to follow now. Without giving him a warning, they both jumped back into the water and payed Micah back, what he´d dealt out to them.

...

Once again Sylar had no idea what time it was, when the door to his cell was opened. He only knew one thing. He´d waited long enough. If this should be only a guard or maybe even Garth coming in to claim another blood sample from him, someone would get hurt, no matter what the consequences. Slowly he was running out of patience.

But when he looked up it was indeed the man he´d been waiting for. Harris stood in the door, framed by two heavily armed guards, looking at him expectedly.

„I got the word, that you had something to tell me." he announced.

Sylar looked at him and had to restrain himself from jumping up and at him the next second.

„Yes." he said instead and humbly lowered his gaze. When he spoke again, he kept his eyes on the ground, as if it was a hard thing for him to bring those words out. And it was.

„I´m … willing to cooperate … with your tests from now on." he forced the words out.

„Is that so?"

Sylar squeezed his eyes shut, against the anger. „Yes." he brought out.

„Why the change of mind?" Hawk wanted to know.

Sylar looked up at him and once again, he saw Hawk´s ripped out throat before his inner eye. Or his open skull for that matter. Something. Just something. But he forced the picture away and made himself focus.

„Are you kidding?" he asked, making his voice sound more out of breath than he actually was. „Look at me. I can barely move since your little lesson in good behavior. If your guys didn´t rapture one of my nerves, I can call myself lucky."

„So you want to cooperate, because you realized that you can´t fight anymore." Hawk summarized. „Very convenient."

„I figured it doesn´t make much of a difference for you, why one of your guinea pigs cooperates." Sylar replied. „It´s an offer. Take it or leave."

„Oh, I take it." Hawk assured him. „I´m glad you decided to be reasonable. It makes our work much more worthwhile. I just figured that someone like you, wouldn´t come around that easily."

„If you call that easy." Sylar hissed, clinging to the edge of his bed.

Hawk just chuckled. For a moment Sylar stared at him, wishing that he had his telekinesis, to break that guys neck in half, right here and now, only with his mind. Just the way Mohinder´s neck had been broken.

But then he recovered and hid his longing gaze under a mask of resignation.

„I have one request though." he spoke up at last.

„You are aware of the fact that I don´t need to grant you anything." Hawk said.

Sylar had to hide his dagger glare once again. „I just want to know what all this is about." he said. „I don´t like it to be at the silent end of a chain. If you want to use my body for your research, I want to know, what you do with the results. I believe that is not too much to ask."

Hawk seemed to think about his words for a moment. „All right." he decided at last. „I will see that you get informed about our … mission."

„No." Sylar denied.

„No?"

„I want to hear it from you. Not one of your men. Or a file, or something like that. This is your project. You gave the orders. You are the mastermind behind it. I want you to tell me why. Why you did this. What you are trying to do in here. Why."

Hawk looked at him, the thinking process clearly visible in his face. They might have suppressed all his powers, Sylar thought, but there was still something he could do, no matter how many drugs they put into his system. He still knew how people like Hawk ticked.

At last the Commander nodded. „All right." he said. „I will. As soon as you showed us some things."

He waited for an answer and Sylar lowered his gaze again, performing a reluctant nod. So be it. He would do their test. Whatever they wanted. It could only bring him closer to his real target. Because in order to do those tests, they needed his abilities awake, at least to a certain degree. And the sooner he made them understand that, the sooner he would get his revenge.

Hawk seemed satisfied with Sylar´s decision. „We´ll arrange the tests for you." he informed him.


	15. Miscalculations

**Miscalculations**

Juliet sat behind her desk, staring at the screen of her computer with a dull and aching feeling in her chest. She´d read the report of the incident behind the warehouse, over and over again. It had been written by herself but the report CSI had written, was so much different from her own point of view.

It talked about evidence that indicated something that hadn´t happened. It didn´t talk about a trap that had been set up for them. It talked about something totally different. Not the planned and executed murder on a police detective, her partner, her friend, but a simple incident of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. A detective killed in the line of duty. Killed. Not murdered.

The evidence didn´t prove what she´d seen. And that alone made her want to cry and never stop, until she died from exhaustion. But she couldn´t cry anymore. She´d shed all the tears that were in her and by now she only felt hollow and empty.

Someone stepped up to her desk and she looked up. It was Gus. His eyes were as lost as hers, but there was still some hope left in them. The hope that she would have an answer for him. And the question came promptly.

„So what are we gonna do now?"

Juliet wished she could give him the answer, he was looking for. She really wished she could give it to him. But the truth was that she had none. She could only sigh and shake her head.

„I don´t know." she told him the truth. „The chief is right. We have absolutely nothing. No evidence, not even a hunch that would tell us, that what happened behind that warehouse, was anything else but a drugdeal gone wrong."

„But there must be something we can do." he insisted desperately.

Again she shook her head. „Not that I see anything." she said. „We´ve lost, Gus. We lost Carlton and neither Bennet or Lauren are answering their phones. So we have to assume that they got them as well. We´ve got nothing. It´s over."

„It can´t be over." Gus burst out, fiercely. „We can´t let them get away with that. We owe that to them. All of them. To Lassiter and Bennet and Lauren. And to Shawn."

„If he is still alive, you mean."

„He is alive." Henry spoke up behind her, startling her.

She turned around and looked into the calm but stern face of her boyfriend´s father and for a moment, she felt guilty for feeling so lost and helpless … and broken.

„He is alive." Henry repeated. „If he´d be dead, I would know that. He isn´t dead. And we´re going to find him. Gus is right, we owe that to our comrades. To Carlton and Bennet and Lauren."

„Can´t we report them missing?" Gus cried out all the sudden. „They are citizens of Santa Barbara after all. And we know where they were, before they vanished. Wouldn´t that be enough to investigate the mansion again?"

Juliet turned around in her chair and looked at him, thunderstruck. Of course. He was right. But then she remembered the law and shook her head again.

„We can´t report them missing before two days have passed."

„To hell with that." Henry barked.

„Those are the rules." she replied.

„Why are you hanging to the rules like that?" Henry demanded to know. „It´s almost as if you don´t want to find them."

Juliet could feel a dull and throbbing anger rise in her chest.

„How dare you?" she spoke in a low tone and this time it was Henry who seemed to take a step back. „Don´t you think I want them to pay?" she asked, standing up without even noticing it. „Don´t you think. That I want to see them pay. For what they´ve done to Carlton? They. Killed. My partner. Of course I want to get them. I want. To get them. For what they did. I want. To make them pay."

Henry held her gaze, astoundingly calm and there was something in his gaze that made her realize what had just happened. That he´d provoked her into this. To wake her up again. To make her come out of her catatonic state, she´d lulled herself in over these last few hours, succumbing to her grief and allowing herself to get weakened by it, to give up. For a while she´d actually forgotten what she really wanted … and that she had to fight for it.

„And we will." Henry now told her. „You hear me? We will get them."

And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Juliet felt as if she could believe in those words again.

...

„Just tell me one thing, Ashton." Hawk asked the younger man under his command, while the two of them walked through his living room. „Where does that cosy treatment behavior come from, all the sudden? Letting the kids go out and all. There was a time when you wouldn´t even consider that."

„Things are changing, Hawk." Ashton replied. „Constantly. And we have to adjust. Didn´t you know that these kids are different than your five year old? Those are teenagers and they are not satisfied with some toys you give them into their cell. They want something more and I just gave it to them."

„Some kind of bribe."

„You don´t understand the first thing about teenagers, Commander. They´ll learn something from that day. They´ll understand that they can get something when they do something for us. Nice things like a day in the garden, at the pool. The next step will be that they start to demand those favors as some sort of payment."

„Great. That´ll be helpful."

„It will be. As soon as they understand that something is in it for them, their motivation will be much bigger to do the tests for us."

„You think so?"

„I know that."

„Aha."

They´d reached the kitchen. One of the guards was standing at the glass door, looking out over the garden.

„What are you doing in here, soldier?" Hawk demanded to know.

The man turned around to him, startled. „I took position in here, sir." he answered. „The kids are playing hide and seek and I thought, it´d be a good idea to keep an eye on them."

„You can´t do that from outside?"

„The boy was hiding in here earlier." the guard explained.

„Did he do anything?"

„Not as far as I could see it. The girl found him pretty quickly and I checked. I think, it´s all right."

„All right then." Hawk said and stepped to his side. „Where are they now?"

The guard looked out, searching for a moment. „The older girl is there." he pointed ahead and Hawk spotted Molly Walker on the grass. She appeared to look around, searching.

„The other girl is hiding, I guess." the guard went on, after a moment of looking. „Last time I saw the boy, he was over there, at the bushes. I´m sure one of the others can see him."

Hawk nodded but something in his guts didn´t quiet feel right. He knew, he didn´t like the idea of letting the kids come out here. And now he didn´t know where each of them was. Playing hide and seek was a simple enough explanation and he sure as hell didn´t want to seem paranoid. But something about the whole thing, didn´t feel right.

A low and rumbling sound made them all turn their heads. It was the fridge that made the noise. But it was not the usual noise, a fridge would make. This one was louder and somehow more … urgent.

„You sure the boy didn´t do anything?" he asked.

The guard took a step towards the fridge, to see what was the reason for that strange noise, but the device already showed them what it was. Ice cubes came spilling out of it, crushing down to the floor. Not just a few but a whole load of them and with each spit of the fridge, they flew wider. Hawk and the others had to skip back, to not to get hit by those projectiles.

„Dammit." the Commander cursed.

By now the damn thing was not only spitting ice. It was also rattling like a machine gun, the noise echoing loudly off the tiles of the kitchen. Outside the guards came running, their guns trained on whatever enemy they might have to face in here.

„Back to your posts." Hawk shouted at them. „Don´t worry about us. You´re supposte to watch the kids."

The men stood there, uncertain for a moment. Hawk cursed inwardly. This damn kid. That was exactly what he´d done here, when he´d been hiding. And thinking that, Hawk threw a look outside, seeing what he´d feared to see since Ashton had come to him, with this suggestion to let the kids go outside. He saw a garden, and no kid as far as he could see.

„Where the hell are they?" he cried, making his men swirl around, searching the garden with their eyes, unable to believe that they´d lost them within only one moment of distraction. But Hawk knew that one moment of distraction could be enough, when prisoners wanted to run.

Next to him Ashton stared out of the door, as flabbergasted as the guards. A second later he rushed past him and into the garden. Something the guards were supposte to do.

„Find them." Hawk shouted and finally his men started to move.

...

Molly gritted her teeth and pulled on the wire mesh of the fence, trying to make the hole wider. Micah had deactivated the electrics but that didn´t mean they were outside yet. This damn fence was stubborn and so far, they´d only managed it to get a hole of the size of a basketball.

„We need to hurry." Micah urged, pulling on his side of the wire mesh. „They´ll come and look for us very soon."

„You think I don´t know that?" Molly groaned, still pulling with all her strength. But the fence just wouldn´t give way any more. The hole looked frustratingly small.

They heard Hawk shout from the house, his voice bellowing all over the garden as it seemed.

„We have to do it now." Micah urged.

„Sofia." Molly cried. „You go first, you are the smallest."

Sofia immediately wriggled herself through the hole in the fence, her arms first like a diver who jumped into the water. Molly helped her to get through, so she wouldn´t get stuck with her clothings. They´d put on their clothes again before they´d started their game of hide and seek, knowing that they couldn´t run through the woods in bathing suits. Now she almost wished they´d spared that. If Sofia´s clothings would tangle up in that damn wire, their escape attempt would be over, before it even started.

But then Sofia was outside and Molly dared to exhale in relieve.

„Now you." Micah urged and Molly repeated Sofia´s performance, hands first, trying to make herself as small as possible. Only that she was a few years older and not as skinny as Sofia was. When she was halfway outside, her hips came in the way and all the sudden, she stuck.

„Oh, no." she breathed and tried to wriggle herself through the hole.

She could feel Micah pulling on the wire, trying desperately to make the space wider for her, but it was no use. He barely managed it to make the damn thing move more than a centimeter. Molly´s heart started to beat wildly. No, was all she could think. This can´t be. Please not.

„Molly?" she heard a new voice from farther behind her. „Molly? Sofia? Are you there somewhere?"

That was Benny! Oh, no. Not now. Molly wound herself in the fence, trying to squeeze herself through the hole. Her tights were starting to hurt and she was pretty sure that she´d already lost some skin in the process. But she just had to get through. She had to get out.

„Micah, is that you?" Benny´s voice asked right behind her and then the guy cried out, totally flabbergasted: „What are you doing?"

Molly lost all the breath from her lungs and with that, the strength that had kept her struggling. She exhaled and her body lost the tension that had held her upright. She hung down like a sack, her hands clinging to the earth beneath her.

„Run, Sofia." she told her friend, who was still standing there, waiting, looking at her with fearful eyes. „Run." she begged and Sofia ran.

A moment later, the air was full of shouting. She could hear the guards that came running to catch them. Behind her, there was the begging voice of Benny, telling the guards not to shoot. And then she got dragged back out of the hole, carefully, not violently like she´d expected it. When she looked at the person who´d pulled her out, she saw the concerned face of Benny.

„What were you guys thinking?" he asked with a shaking voice. „These men have guns."

Molly needed a moment to let this sink in. And then she heard the shot ringing out. Outside, in the woods.

„Sofia!" she cried and struggled to her feet.

When she ran out of the bush, the guards swirled around to her, but she just didn´t care. All she could think of, was running. Running to her friend, who was out there, because she´d told her to. Behind her, she could hear Benny crying out again, for the guards not to shoot. The guards demanded from her to stop.

Molly didn´t listen to any of this. She just ran. Along the fence, rounding the garden, the house, the whole mansion, always following the shouts and the shots, she could hear out there. Micah was running with her, chasing her, until he caught up and managed it to grab her, keeping her from running right into the fence and fry herself.

Molly didn´t struggle when he pulled her in, but her gaze was always outside in the woods. She knew Sofia was there and she knew the guards were following her. And then there was another shot. Only one. Its echo sounded strange and final in the wideness of the woods.

Molly flinched and so did Micah. He looked out there uncertain. Of course he was uncertain what to think. His eyes were limited to the trees he could see behind the fence and he had nothing but the sound to wonder what had happened to Sofia. But Molly could see her in her mind. She could see her stumbling down the slope until she stood on the edge of the ravine. And she saw her getting hit by that soldier´s bullet and stumble over the edge, plunging down into the river.

If she´d been able to talk, she might have screamed on her way down. But so her fall was a silent one, until her small body plunged into the stream and vanished out of sight, carried away in the powerful pull of the water.

Molly was shaking, tears running down her cheeks. A moment later her legs gave in and she just broke down.

...

Mohinder was pacing impatiently. He´d asked for Hawk to come here almost an hour ago. What the hell took him so long? He was so close to just break through that door and find his way on his own. But then the sounds of footsteps from the corridor made that unnecessary. The moment the door to his lab opened, he was in Hawk´s face.

„I want to see her." he demanded without transition.

He didn´t need to say any more. Hawk knew exactly what he meant.

But his answer was not what Mohinder had expected. It was a cool and very blunt: „No."

No discussion or negotiation. Simply no.

„What?" the scientist couldn´t believe what he heard. Did he really have to dismantle something first?

„You couldn´t talk sense into her the first time around." Hawk told him. „Why would I think that you could do anything better this time?"

„I demand that you let me to her." Mohinder burst out and before anyone even knew that it was happening, he´d grabbed Hawk´s collar and pushed him against the wall.

When the guard tried to stop him, he grabbed him with his free arm and disarmed him with one quick move, a move he didn´t even know, he could do. But thinking about this was beyond him now. The man was knocked out by a hit of his elbow, before he even saw it coming.

Unfortunately that was all Mohinder could manage. The sounds of guns getting cocked, made him halt. He still had Hawk in his grip, pressed against the wall, and that was probably the only reason, why they hadn´t shot him yet. But they would, if he did anything more. Mohinder faced the Commander.

„This girl just saw her friend getting killed." he said. „I will talk to her and you will let me stay with her tonight. Understood?"

„She is with Micah and his uncle for the night." Hawk told him. „We are well aware of the fact that she needs comfort, doctor." Mohinder stared at him, into Hawks hard face, unable to give a response. The Commander cocked his head. „But I think a visit could be arranged." he decided at last.

This last sentence was so unexpected to Mohinder that he lost his energy, the anger that had driven him to this point. His hands let go of Hawk and he stepped back. Only a second later, he had something in his back and then the electrical charges shot through his body, forcing him to the ground.

He could hear a calm order from Hawk and the footsteps that had surrounded him stopped. When Mohinder looked up, Hawk was standing over him, one hand massaging his aching throat.

„And by the way." he said. „Never try anything like that again, doctor. Or next time, I won´t be as nice." He looked at his men for a moment and then made a gesture with his head. „Bring him to the girl."

...

Joe Hawkins sat in his armchair and looked over at Molly, who lay on the couch, his nephew by her side, still trying to comfort her somehow. At first she´d been crying hysterically. But that was something Joe had expected, after what had happened. But after a while, she´d grown silent and became kinda catatonic. Just stared ahead and didn´t seem to react to anything. Well, maybe she reacted but she wouldn´t give any answers.

Micah had tried again and again, but she only looked at him and then kept staring at the wall, her fingers fiddling like she was knitting an invisible pullover. It had started to really creep Joe out. That´s why he´d taken his seat a little farther away from them. Because that girl was not sane anymore. But considering what she´d done, he wasn´t sure if she ever had been.

What was it, that all these kids were so eager to die? Didn´t people say that girls were two years ahead of the boys, in their mental development? His grandmother used to say that. According to that, Molly and her friend should have been smarter than Micah. But obviously they weren´t. Micah had only talked about these stupid ideas of running and escape attempts. Those two girls had actually done it. With Micah´s help but that didn´t matter. It had been their idea. So that was the proof that Granny had been wrong after all. Girls were not necessarily smarter than boys.

Even this girl had to see now, that it had been a stupid idea, to pull off something like that. And now her friend didn´t live to learn the lesson. And Molly … well Molly was in her own world now. Probably a form of retrieve, so she wouldn´t have to face reality. Maybe that was the reason why she´d started to talk that strange language all the sudden.

When she´d blurred out the first words in that foreign tongue, Micah had thought she´d lost it. But Joe had recognized the words as a real language. Or rather his ability had recognized it. He´d been able to answer her in this language, so it had to be a real one. Micah had told him, Molly had lived in India for a few years. It was only reasonable to assume that she´d learned the language during those years. Tamil, Micah´d called it. Well, if he said that, then Joe believed him. Why she started to talk it right now, was beyond him though. Had to be the shock.

She hadn´t said anything coherent, so he figured that this could indeed be the reason. The poor thing was just totally wasted. God, what the hell was he supposte to do with her now? He was no psychologist, dammit.

As if to answer his question, the door beeped and was opened. Joe expected to see a guard stepping in, or Hawk himself, or maybe Benny to bring the food and try to talk to Molly with_ his_ special method. But instead it was the Indian doctor who walked in, a guard with a gun beside him.

Immediately the whole scenery changed. Molly, who´d been totally silent for this last hour, jumped up as soon as she saw him and ran over to him. The doctor caught the crying girl in his arms. She sobbed a few times and then started to talk like a waterfall, again in this foreign language. She told him how glad she was to see him and how sorry she was. Over and over again. Joe listened to all of this, and knowing that only he and the doctor could understand her gibble gabble, was a strange thing to know.

The scientist´s reaction to that unexpected language attack, was a startled frown. He held the girl at arms length but she just kept talking to him, in what had to be his first language. Joe caught an asking glance.

„What is going on?" he asked him, speaking absolutely normal English. Normal except for his accent maybe.

„I think she has some kindof shock." Joe told him. „She talks that language for over an hour now."

„Did she say anything …?" the doctor wanted to know, but Joe shook his head.

„Just gibble gabble." he said. „Like now."

Suresh turned to the girl and looked her in the eyes. After another moment, he started to talk to her, using his own language now. He was probably hoping to get through to her with that.

„Molly. I know what you saw was terrible …" he tried to calm her down, but the girl talked right over him.

„Sofia is alive." she cried, talking very fast Tamil.

Joe blinked. What did she just say? He must have heard wrong. She didn´t look as if she´d just told them that her friend was alive. She was still crying, sobbing hard. But the expression on the scientist´s face was as startled as Joe´s, so maybe she´d said that after all. Was she talking crazy now? In Tamil? She could have done that in English too.

„What did you just say?" Suresh asked her slowly, still using his foreign language.

„I searched her in my mind and she´s all right." Molly told him, still sobbing as if she was telling something terrible instead. „She survived and she´ll be able to heal herself. But they must think she´s dead."

After she´d said that, she started to cry again and hugged the startled scientist to sob on his shoulder. Slowly Joe started to understand, what she was doing. He threw a checking glance at the guard behind the doctor and the man seemed to buy her act. Damn. Maybe he´d underestimated this girl after all. A look into the doctor´s face told him, that he was realising the trick too.

„Molly, what were you thinking?" he asked her quietly. „You could have gotten yourself killed. And Sofia."

„But I had to do something." Molly cried.

Suresh held her at arms length, once again and looked at her. „That is my job, remember?"

„I already got you killed once." Molly cried and this time she was really upset, Joe could tell. „I just had to do that." she said.

„Sofia could be dead."

„But she isn´t. She can heal."

„But you can´t. If they would have shot you … or Micah."

Joe threw a glance over at his nephew, who looked very lost in all this talk in a language that he didn´t understand. He looked at Joe with asking eyes. But right now, Joe couldn´t give him the answer, he wanted to get. Right now, he was far too drawn to that drama that happened before him. For some strange reason, he suddenly felt proud of what these two girls had managed. They´d fooled them all. Even him. And even better, one of them had gotten out.

„I had to do that." Molly insisted, once again. „And Micah knew how dangerous it was, too."

„Molly …" the doctor tried to stop her.

„No." she cried and this time, the tears that slipped down her face, were real tears. „I had to do this. I had to."

„Hey, what do you want?" Joe spoke up, talking in Tamil, just like the two of them. „At least the girl is free now. Maybe she can get us help, so we´ll finally get out of here."

The scientist looked at him, furious. „So you supported this insane plan?" he asked him.

„I had no idea what they had in mind." Joe defended himself. „He didn´t tell me nuthin." he pointed at Micah.

The boy reacted surprised when all the sudden, he seemed to be a subject in this discussion, that he didn´t understand.

„And you are the one to talk." Joe went on. „My nephew is not the one who´s on a guilt trip because of me."

At this the scientist let go of Molly all the sudden and grabbed Joe instead.

„You want to say this is my fault?" he shouted at him. „Is it that?"

Joe tried to struggle but the other man was too strong for him. For the first time in his life, he was glad to have one of the guards around. The soldier stepped up and held his gun between the two of them. Suresh understood the message and let go of Joe´s collar.

„I think that was enough for today, doctor." the guard stated.

After he was done starring daggers at Joe, Suresh eventually turned around to hug Molly one last time. He mumbled something into her ear that not even Joe could understand. After that he stood up and left the room, closely followed by the guard.


	16. Refugees

**Refugees**

Out in the woods, a few miles away from the mansion, the wild river was running on and on, sending its loud and beautiful sound over the area, competing with the rustling of the leaves. Birds were still singing but soon they would be quiet. Because the evening had settled down and the last light of the day was dying away. Just like the girl lying on the bank of the river.

Her shoulder was bleeding from the gunshot wound, the soldier had made her. Her cloths were wet and her hair was clinging to her skin like seawheet. And she was weak, freezing in the cold air of this late evening.

The soldiers believed her to be dead and that was a good thing. But this girl´s luck was it that she could be half dead and still recover. She was a healer and that power was not limited to heal others. She could also heal herself. It only needed longer when she was that weak. And it was more painful. Sometimes she wished that she would have a voice to cry out her pain. But she didn´t have a voice. She´d never had one. And so her pain was hers alone. No one would ever share it, just the way it had been all her life.

Molly had been the first person, that had appeared to share her pain. But Molly wasn´t here with her. She was still back in that prison, Hawk called a mansion. So was Micah. And all the others that were incarcerated there. And that was the reason why she, Sofia, couldn´t give up. Why she couldn´t just lie here, freezing and crying, because she was hurt. She needed to get up and start moving again. She needed to get help.

So she struggled back to her feet at last, her legs shaking and her breath quivering madly. She was so cold. The bathing suit she wore beneath her clothes, made it even worse. She was shivering as if she walked through the Arktis, instead of the woods around Santa Barbara. It was devastating. But she mustn´t succumb to it. She needed to get better, to heal her wound and keep moving until she reached the house, Molly had told her about.

She stopped for a moment and looked into the slowly darkening wood before her. If she only knew in what direction that house was. Or the street for that matter. She was lucky that she´d managed it to get out of the river again. But how far she´d swam before that, she didn´t know. As far as she knew, she could be halfway down to the Lake Mead by now. Okay, in that case she would walk through a desert and not through a wood. But still. She had no idea where she was and even less where to go.

Desperation started to wash over her. She was only a girl of thirteen years after all. She was cold, she was hurt and she was alone. Tears were filling her eyes and after another moment, her legs gave in and she dropped to the ground, huddling there, freezing and crying silently.

Her wound was almost healed by now, but what difference did this make if she was lost out here? And alone. She was not Molly. She didn´t see the area when she closed her eyes. And she didn´t know where to go. What if she ran in one direction and it was the wrong one? If she ran away from the saving street instead of approaching it? How could she know? Who would ever find her?

For the first time in months, Sofia wished herself back into her appartement-cell. Where she´d had a bed and food that got served by a friendly guy that always knew how to make her laugh. Why did she run away? The moment Molly had been stuck, she should have known that the plan had failed. That she would never make it without her. Now she was lost and no one was here to help her. To save her.

A moaning sound, made her halt in her own sobs. She held her breath and listened, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Was that an animal? A bear? A puma? She listened. Something was rustling leaves, only a few feet away from her, behind that tree over there. Sofia stared at this tree and just knew that even if the puma would jump out of there the next second, she would not be able to move. That she would be frozen. Like a deer in the shine of the headlights of a car. The leaves were rustling again.

Another moan was audible. But it was no animal, she heard there. That sound she heard, almost sounded like a voice. A human, a female voice. Sofia let out the breath that she´d held so far, allowing herself to keep breathing, carefully and slowly so she could keep listening but she was breathing again. Another moan. It was true. That was a human. A woman.

Sofia´s heart sped up. Someone was here with her. She wasn´t the only one. She wasn´t alone. So she jumped up and ran over to that tree, anticipating to see the person that would get her out of here. To safety. But what she saw when she passed the tree was another shock. The woman she´d heard, lay on the ground, dirt and leaves covering her back and stuck in her blonde hair. She was bleeding and her face was pale. So pale. Sofia´s heart tightened with fear, seeing this.

She fell to her knees next to the woman and lay a hand on her shoulder to wake her up. But the woman only flinched and moaned. But she didn´t open her eyes. Sofia was scared. This woman was dying, she understood. Had she found her only a little later, she might have found a dead body.

Sofia was scared. She knew she could heal her but she was weak herself and using her ability now on anyone else but herself, might weaken her even more. Maybe too much for her to go on.

But she just had to. This woman might be the only one who could save her. If she wouldn´t do it, she would die out here anyway. If not now, then during the night. Or tomorrow. Because alone she would never find her way out of these woods again. And that meant that she had no choice at all.

It was either dying or risking to die. This way she could at least save one more life. This woman would live, even if she, Sofia, would die before they reached civilisation. And it needed only one person to deliver a message, Sofia figured. Better it would be delivered by someone, who was as strong as this woman.

Sofia sighed and lay a hand on the woman´s chest. She was still freezing. With a last glance upwards at the sky, where the first faint stars were coming out now, peeking through the crowns of the trees, she closed her eyes and started to concentrate. She would need all her strength to heal her wounds.

...

Joe couldn´t sleep. It was in the middle of the night and he was tossing and turning without getting anywhere with it. When he had enough, he got up to get himself a milk. No matter how cliché it sounded, it usually helped him to calm down.

On his way through the living room, he heard the sound of rustling cloth. Molly, who was supposte to be sound asleep on the couch, sat up when he passed her. He looked down on her and her big eyes stood out in that half darkness of the room, like two stars. Joe sighed.

„Can´t sleep either, huh?" he asked.

„We have to do something." she said in Tamil. „We have to find a way out."

Joe frowned and then took a seat in the armchair. „You kids already tried to find a way out and it almost got you killed." he told her, instinctively answering her in that gibberish language. „I won´t be a part of it."

„Do you want to stay in here forever?" she asked. „Playing their lab rat?"

Joe let his head hang for a moment and sighed. „Okay, what would you do?" he demanded an answer. If she wanted a plan, she should tell him one.

„I don´t know." she said and he smiled. What did he say? „But now we have an advantage." she kept talking. „We can talk to each other without them understanding what we say. We can make plans."

„Damn, girl." Joe groaned. „In what world do you live?"

„We have to think of something." she insisted.

„Hey." he looked at her sharply, demanding her attention. „I don´t like to be Mr. Negative but you overlook something. And that is that door. We´re locked in here."

„Mohinder is out there." she replied. „He can help us."

„Oh, so now you want him to save you."

„And Sofia is out there too." Molly just skipped that cynical allusion. „She´ll get help."

„Sorry, kid." Joe shook his head.

„You said that yourself, this afternoon." Molly cried scandalized.

„I know what I said." Joe replied fiercely. „But I had some time to think since then and other than you, I came to my senses. Because things are a little more complicated than you want to admit it to yourself. I really don´t wanna spoil everything for you but even if Sofia can heal, there´s a huge area of nothing but woods out there. I saw it when they got us here and as soon as she gets lost out there, she´ll be dead, no matter how good she can heal. I´m terribly sorry, kid, but you better not hope for your friend to come back with the cavalry, because it ain´t gonna happen. Got me?"

He sat there and looked at her, waiting for another response. But this time he didn´t get any. Molly just stared at him in silence.

Looking at her hard and hurt face, made Joe almost regret what he´d said. But it had been nothing but the truth, so there was no way around it. She had to face facts, the earlier, the better. Her friend wouldn´t come back. It had been one hell of a trick to get her out and to make them believe that she was dead. But in the end, she was still nothing but a little girl and little girls that got lost in the wild, died, earlier or later.

Joe had hoped too, but he´d learned it to think reasonable. And even more important, realistic. This girl was lucky if she died quickly out there and didn´t have to suffer. Maybe it would have been better, if she hadn´t been able to heal herself from this shot wound. But Sofia was out of his reach, he couldn´t change her fate anymore. What he could do though was to keep this girl, from trying something like that again … and maybe suffer the same fate as her friend.

...

It was going straight to midnight. Juliet was sitting behind her desk, waiting impatiently for the time to pass. Two more hours. Then the forty-eight hours would be over and she would grab the first minute of it, to report Bennet and Lauren missing. Then finally they could keep going and actually start doing something to find Shawn. To find Lauren or Noah alive, was something she didn´t dare to hope. But Henry was convinced that his son was still alive and by now, she felt that he was right. They would find him. Alive. But to do so, the damn clock would have to reach the two a.m. The time when they´d had the last contact with Lauren and Bennet, two days ago.

Juliet sighed. This was one of the perfect examples of time that was literally crawling. She had no idea how often she´d looked at the damn clock by now. And it seemed as if it was mocking her. The damn hands just wouldn´t move.

Gus came strolling over to her, carrying a new cup of coffee. He placed it in front of her and she smiled at him, gratefully.

„Still two hours to go." he mentioned and Juliet closed her eyes for a moment.

„Yes." she answered, barely able to keep her frustration out of her voice.

Gus only nodded understandingly. He was looking for something in his pocket and when he pulled his hand back out, checking the display of his cell phone, something fell down on Juliet´s desk. It was a small piece and for a moment, she thought he´d dropped a paperclip. But then she saw that it was a little bigger than that. She picked the little thing up and looked at it. It was a stickpin.

„What´s that?" she asked startled.

Gus reacted uncomfortable at first and almost as if he was caught in the act by doing something secret. But then he let his shoulders hang and relaxed.

„To be honest …" he said. „I don´t know. Shawn found it in the hospital after Roth had been kidnapped. I took it in my pocket and … forgot about it. I wanted to find out what that symbol means. But I didn´t find it."

Juliet looked at the stickpin again. There was something familiar about it but she couldn´t quiet place it. Shawn had found that. Why hadn´t he told her about it? Maybe he´d forgotten too. He forgot a lot of things all the time. What if that little stickpin was a clue that could have solved the case long ago? Wouldn´t that be a joke? If Shawn´s forgetfulness would have caused something as dramatic as this? Like the literal pebble that caused an avalanche.

Her brother had always used that idiom to keep her from screwing up about small tasks. If you screw up now, sis, you´ll regret it later on, he´d always told her. So focus. If you want to become a detective, focus.

The advice of a man, who´d become a soldier. Juliet shook her head. That´s what she´d believed until some time ago. God, things could seem so true and be so wrong at closer examination.

Her head snapped up all the sudden. That was it. From one moment to the next, she knew where she´d seen a symbol like that stickpin before. Of course, how could she forgot? She swirled around to her computer and started to type.

„What?" Gus asked startled. „What is it?"

„That´s a military symbol, Gus." she told him. „A rank insignia. I knew, I saw that somewhere. Wait a second."

She went military ranks on the internet and found a page with pictures of all the rank insignias that there were in the military, be it Armee, Air Force or Marines. She needed to look through it for a while but then she´d found it. She hit her hand down on the table.

„I knew it." she exclaimed. „Warrant Officer first class. That´s a Marines rank."

„Harris was with the Marines." Gus cried excited.

„So were most of his men." Juliet cried, not less excited. „That´s it. We´ve got it."

„You got what?" Henry asked, attracted by the sudden excitement on Juliet´s desk.

„We have our first hard piece of evidence." she told him, while Gus held up the stickpin.

„Shawn found this at the hospital." he told him.

„It´s the rank insignia for a Warrant Officer, a rank used in the Navy." Juliet explained.

„Harris and his men were in the Navy." Gus added.

Henry looked up at them, a startled look in his eyes. He just couldn´t believe it.

„You had this with you all along?" he asked Gus. „Why didn´t you show us earlier?"

The smile in Gus´ face was gone instantly. Juliet got up before the two of them could start an argument that would do nothing but waste their value time.

„It´s not important, why he forgot about it." she said. „Important is that now we have proof that at least one of Harris men was at the hospital. Now all we have to do is to find out, which of them had the rank of a Warrant Officer."

„Wait a second." Henry went over to his desk and started to look through the files he still had there. „There was someone I had here, that I would mark as our man at once, if you ask me. Wait a sec … here he is." He picked up one of the files and showed it to them. „The guy´s name is Benjamin Ashton. He´s the perfect candidat for something like this. Here look at this. His record has various reprimands of brutality and ruthless behavior in combat operations, as well as in not combat operations. He was involved in at least two cases of fun torture of prisoners in Afghanistan. The guy even looks like a criminal to me."

He showed them the picture of the man in question and Juliet had to admit that he looked cold and brutal on that photo, even though his face was surprisingly nice. It made him seem younger than he actually was. The file said he was thirty-five but on that picture he looked more like in his early twenties. If he would want to, he could look even younger, Juliet figured. She felt strangely reminded of a case, some five years ago. A young man under the false name Kirk Gödel, who´d been not as young as he´d appeared to be. She had no idea why she thought of that right now, but something about this man on the picture just made her uncomfortable.

„He´s not Warrant Officer though." Henry now mentioned in a frustrated tone. „Only a Lieutenant."

„Wait a second." Juliet spoke up. She unconsciously raised her hand up to her temple in her efforts to remember, not noticing Henry´s frown or Gus´ raised eyebrows.

„Wasn´t Harris himself a Warrant Officer when he was still active in the Navy?" she asked herself and immediately went over to Henry´s desk, to get out the file that read D.P. Harris.

She opened it and there it was. She hit her finger on the page.

„That means we have him?" Gus asked, unable to believe their luck.

„Not yet but that gives us a big reason to investigate him and his mansion." Juliet replied.

Gus cheered and so did Juliet. Finally. Finally they had something to bring this son of a bitch down. He would pay for what he´d done. She would see to that. God, she wished that Carlton could be here to celebrate with them. And only thinking about him, made her joy sink down again. He would never be here again to celebrate the closure of a case.

Gus and Henry saw the change in her face.

On Juliet´s desk, the telephone started to ring.

„O´Hara." she answered it.

„Juliet, it´s Lauren." she heard a voice that she´d never expected to hear again.

„Oh, my god, Lauren." she cried and sat down in her chair. Henry and Gus were by her side at once. „Oh, my god." Juliet repeated, her hand instinctively reaching for the phone to press the speaker button, to let Gus and Henry hear it too. „We thought you were dead." she told the woman on the phone.

„I almost was dead." Lauren´s voice came out of the loudspeaker. „I only survived because someone found me."

„Where are you now? Are you all right?" Juliet asked her.

„I´m fine." Lauren assured them. „I´m at the Company in Durham Street. I have someone with me that needed medical attention."

„Is it Noah?"

„No. No, they got him." Lauren revealed, bitterness in her voice. „The little girl that found me told me all about it."

„A girl?" Juliet exchanged a glance with Gus.

„She escaped from the mansion. She has an ability and she told me everything we need to bring those bastards down. All the evidence we need, Juliet. She says that Shawn is up there too."

At this information, they all exhaled in relieve for a moment. Juliet saw the gazes of Gus and Henry and she could feel hope rising in her chest again.

„We need to coordinate your team and our people." Lauren now told her. „The Company will help us, bring Harris down. I officially got green light from Angela Petrelli to assemble a team for this operation. Is Lassiter near you? We need to talk about how to sell that to your chief."

From one second to the other, Juliet´s new gained happiness was gone again. This time when she looked at Gus and Henry, she saw sadness and reluctance.

„Lauren …" Juliet made herself go on. „Carlton is dead. They killed him, the night we were on that stakeout. It was a trap."

The heavy weight of having to tell this terrible information to someone, threatened to crush her spirit once again and Lauren´s sympathizing reply didn´t make it any better.

„Oh, my god." the other woman exclaimed and Juliet could almost see her shake her head. „I´m so sorry, Juliet." she said.

Juliet nodded, well aware of the fact that Lauren couldn´t see her.

„We didn´t know what to do." she started talking. „They made it look like a drug deal gone wrong. We had nothing. And we thought, you and Noah were gone too so …"

She knew that this was probably not the place nor the time to spill out her heart like this but she just couldn´t help. Her tongue was working and it just wouldn´t stop. There was a strange noise coming from the loudspeaker all the sudden and Juliet halted. It sounded like rustling paper and then Lauren´s voice asked: „What?"

She was not talking to them.

„Lauren?" Juliet asked uncertain.

„I´m sorry, Juliet." the other woman apologized. „I just got a note from my little friend here, I …"

Again there was a startled silence in the line and then Lauren´s voice, again speaking to that other person, asked, clearly uncertain: „Are you sure about this?"

„Lauren, what is it?" Juliet demanded to know.

The answer she got was a reluctant one. „Ehm … Juliet." Lauren addressed her unsure. „Just a question. What happened to Lassiter´s body? Has there already been an autopsie?"

„No." Juliet was startled. „It´s supposte to be done tomorrow morning. When the coroner´s back. Why?"

Again the line was silent. Again Lauren spoke to that other person that was with her in the room.

„And you´re absolutely sure about this?" she asked for confirmation. Juliet´s heart started to pound in anticipation.

„Lauren, please talk to me." she begged.

„What is going on over there?" Henry demanded to know.

They all had to wait for one more minute before Lauren finally went on.

„Juliet." she addressed the detective, her voice strong even in that uncertainty, they could still hear. „I will come over to the station." she informed them. „I´ll bring the girl with me. And then we need to see Lassiter."

...

It was barely an hour later, when Lauren walked into the station, a little girl on her hand that looked as if she´d walked through hell. And after Lauren told them how she´d met her and what Sofia had told her (written on paper in her case, because she apparently couldn´t speak) they knew that this was very nearly what she´d done. But even more remarkable than the fact that she wasn´t completely traumatized yet, was the fact that this little girl had demanded to be allowed to see Lassiter´s body. That she even claimed that she might be able to help him, if it was not too late yet.

But Juliet just didn´t understand. Too late? How couldn´t it be too late? He was dead. For almost two days now. How could anyone still help him?

Lauren had told them that Sofia had an ability, Juliet understood that. It wasn´t that she didn´t understand that, for people with abilities, it was possible to come back from the dead. She´d seen it happen. With Sylar who could heal his own wounds and Shawn, who´d been saved by an injection that had brought him back to life. But those things had happened right after the death had occurred.

Carlton was dead for two days now. Two days. No one came back after such a long time. No one.

Still they were here now, standing in the morgue around the coolers, watching the little mute girl standing there, by Juliet´s dead partner, her hands lying on his chest as if she tried to feel for his heartbeat. A heartbeat that wasn´t there anymore.

Juliet closed her eyes and fought against the tears. Why? Why had she allowed this? She was a thirteen year old girl, for gods sake. She shouldn´t be here, touching the dead body of a man she´d never met. They should have never let her come down here. It just wasn´t right. Carlton would have never allowed it. He wouldn´t have wanted this.

She stepped forward to end this. It was time to face facts. Carlton was dead and even if this girl really had the ability of healing, she was still just a girl and even a miracle healer could not bring back the dead. Juliet reached out her hand to touch Sofia´s shoulder, when suddenly Carlton´s eyes shot open and he gasped loudly.

Juliet uttered a little shriek and skipped back in shock, her hands covering her mouth to keep the scream inside. That was impossible. But it was happening. Behind her she heard Gus utter a faint moan and then she heard the sound of him hitting the ground.

On his stretcher, Carlton convulsed a few times, struggling for air. His skin was still pale as a fish but with each labored breath he took, it seemed that the color was returning to him. Live was returning to him, it shot through Juliet´s head.

His eyes were rolling wildly in total confusion, until he seemed to realize where he was.

„Holy sh ...!" he cried but started to cough halfway through it.

Juliet was still not able to grasp what was happening right before her eyes. And then he´d spotted her.

„O´Hara." he cried, still coughing. „What the hell happened?"

Juliet wanted to answer but she was simply unable to speak. She just didn´t know what to do or to say. Her partner was alive. Again. He was breathing and he was looking around just like always when something happened that he didn´t quiet understand. He was back. He was truly back. She just couldn´t believe it.

And then he spotted something and the question he asked next, made her brain shift back into gear, realising that there was a lot of explaining to do now.

„O´Hara." he spoke with a wary frown. „Why do I have a note on my toe?"

Juliet couldn´t answer. She just couldn´t. All she could do was shaking her head, in total amazement, tears swelling up in her eyes. Her feet started to move all on their own and then she just ran over to him, hugging him so tight that she almost stranged him to death.


	17. Vengeance

**Vengeance **

Joe looked at the guard next to him bored and uninterested, while they walked him to the test room. It was the same procedure as always and Joe was not really excited about it anymore. He knew what would come. He would walk into that room and find someone waiting there for him to whom he should talk. Some random dude that spoke some exotic language, they had picked up somewhere with the promise of a quick way to make fifty bugs.

It was always the same. The guy would have no idea why he was here in the first place and Joe would feel the urge to tell him what he had gotten himself into. But of course he wouldn´t. Because he knew what would happen to him and Micah if he would try. Because they would know. They always knew.

So he just talked to the guys and after that chat was over, he would go back to his nicely disguised cell and watch some TV, hoping that Micah would leave him alone with his ideas of playing heroes for at least one day.

They reached the room and Joe stepped in. But this time it was different. There was no random dude sitting behind the table. Not random at all. It was the big boss himself who was waiting there for him. Joe felt sweat breaking out on his forehead. That was not good.

„Hello, Mr. Hawkins." Harris greeted him, offering him the chair opposite of him with a gesture of his hand.

Joe looked around at the guards warily but took the seat. „What´s goin on?" he asked. „I din´t do anythin."

„Did I say something like that?" Hawk replied.

„You never showed up to any of ma tests before." Joe recalled fiercely, demanding not to be treated like an idiot. Who did this guy think he was?

„That´s right." Hawk admitted. „I´m not here for your test. I just have a quick question for you."

„´N´what might that be?" Joe crossed his arms before his chest.

Hawk looked at him sternly. His gaze was hard and demanding, belying the friendly smile that played on his lips.

„What did you and Molly Walker talk about last night?" he asked him.

Joe, s mouth dropped open. „What?" he cried. „This is wha´this is about? Are you kidden me?"

„Just answer the question." Hawk demanded.

Joe blew some air threw his teeth as if this was the most idiotic thing he´d ever experienced and rolled his eyes.

„She ast me if her friend was in heaven now." he told Hawk, waking his head while talking, making clear how ridiculous the whole thing was. „I says, yeah, sure she is."

Hawk raised one doubting eyebrow and leaned back. „You sounded rather fierce while comforting her like that." he mentioned.

„Hey, I´m not a kids pers´n." Joe burst out. „Gimme a break, willya. You put that girl in ma room to let me deal with´er. I dealt with´er. And that in a language, I can´t even pronounce when I talk English. So now lea´me alone."

Hawk held his gaze for another minute, obviously trying to figure out if he should believe him or not. Joe held this gaze with the face he´d learned to show when the police had questioned him about some ominous money transfers that had happened from time to time. He´d noticed that when he started talking to someone like that, that his southern accent became stronger all on its own and that this actually seemed to help him sound more convincing.

It was a gift he had. Playing innocent by acting stupid and stubborn. It was a joke but it had saved him from going to prison very often. And now it seemed to save him from something even worse. At last Hawk lowered his peeking gaze and released him.

„All right." he said and got up. „That was all I wanted to know, Mr. Hawkins. Thank you for your honesty."

Joe just shrugged. „You´re welcome." he said indifferently.

Hawk nodded at him. His eyes were still thoughtful though. Joe just hoped that he´d really convinced him. But he knew that gaze from the cops that had used to question him. He was unsure if he could believe him but ultimately he had no proof for any guilt. So Joe´d probably won that little battle.

Hawk gave the guards a nod. „You can go on with the tests then." he told them and left the room.

It would have been a lie to say that Joe Hawkins was not relieved when the door closed behind him.

...

It was his day. He was sure of it. It had to be. The day he had been waiting for for so long. An eternity. Finally he would get his revenge. They´d lowered his drug level, so he would be able to perform the test they wanted to do with him. Okay, they were watching him permanently, with fife guards standing around him, training their guns at him, one of them loaded with shots of Glycimerine and the rest with normal led. Just in case he should try something. But of course he didn´t. He wouldn´t. He´d promised them to do their test after all. And he would.

He´d been the one that had given them the advise to keep a shotgun with Glycimerine ready if they didn´t feel save enough. All for the sake of making his act seem believable. Who would give a tip like that when he planned to break out? Only someone who didn´t have anything to lose. A dart gun just like for a big-game hunting. And wouldn´t it be a big-game hunting? Sure it would. He would see to that.

Slowly he raised one of his hands, the palm facing upwards, and made a cage with his fingers. The guards around him tensed and he heard the clicks of their guns. Still nothing happened. He threw them a glance, telling them with his eyes to stay calm. For a brief moment a ball of electricity appeared in his hand. The guards tensed once again until he let the little blue bolt disappear again.

„You can call Hawk." he told them. „I´m ready."

The guards relaxed a little but only to wait until one of them had taken his hand off the gun just long enough to make the call.

Sylar watched them solemnly. If they expected him to attack them, they would be up for a surprise. Because he wouldn´t. Not quiet yet. He´d promised Hawk a demonstration of his powers and he would keep his promise. When the order was given to bring him to the test room, he followed them willingly, even reminded them of the fact that the room better be fire secure, if they didn´t want to set the whole place on fire. They assured him, the room was secure.

Sylar only shrugged and followed them to the room. When they reached it, he couldn´t see Hawk but he knew he was there. Probably in the room next to the actual test room, behind the two way mirror. But that was okay. He would meet him soon enough. First … the test.

The guards affixed the electrodes on him, at his head, his arms and his chest. For a moment Sylar felt reminded on the test Chandra Suresh had performed with him so many years ago. A wave of nostalgia washed over him and along with the thought of the older Suresh, came the thought of Mohinder. Immediately Sylar felt his anger rise again and had to suppress it. Not yet, he reminded himself. Not quiet yet.

When the electrodes were affixed, the guards got the order to leave the room. It was Hawk who gave that order. Sylar could only hear his voice but that was enough for him. Now he was motivated.

„Any special wish, what you want to see?" he asked into the empty room.

„Just show us everything you have." was the anticipating answer.

Sylar smiled. „As you wish."

With that he raised his arm and aimed it at the other end of the room. A moment later a bunch of blue lightnings charged through the room. It was literally electrifying to use this power again. A power that could give him what he desired. Revenge. And now it was so close. At last.

While he demonstrated his powers one after the other, he felt that his mind started to wander. It was so easy to allow it. He wondered where Mohinder´s spirit might be by now. If he was reborn the way the Indians believed it and if he was, would they meet again? Would he be able to recognize him? They said that souls that were connected once, found their ways together, again and again, without even knowing it. So maybe, one day, he would meet a young Indian boy and find himself strangely reminded of someone he once knew. Maybe.

He spared the fire for the last demonstration, after he´d fed their curiousity long enough. Slowly the air he was breathing was getting thick and almost unbearably hot. Sweat was running down his face. He started to pant, heavily. He was sure the heart rate monitor was showing a racing line by now. This was just too much. Just a little more and he would collapse.

Still he couldn´t stop. It was as if something inside of him just didn´t allow him to stop. It was as if he had a punching ball after years of bottled up anger. All that fire of hate that was burning in his heart, wanted to come out and finally he could let it out. He threw another wave of fire against the wall. His breath was rattling heavily by now and it actually felt as if he was drowning in this heat.

„All right." Hawk´s voice came over intercom. „That´s enough for today."

Sylar let his arms drop and tried to steady his breathing. It wasn´t easy.

It wasn´t easy for the guards either. When they came in to free him from the electrodes, they were coughing and as soon as they were done, they retrieved from the room quickly, walking backwards to keep their guns trained on him, even though it was obvious how exhausted he was. When he reached the door, he leaned against the frame for a moment, to catch his breath. The air out here was so much better to breath.

The door to the observation room was opened and Hawk stepped out, smiling satisfied.

„Are you happy now?" Sylar asked, out of breath.

„That was impressive." Hawk praised. „We have a lot of data to work with."

Sylar only closed his eyes, not giving a response. Great, he thought. Good for you.

„Tell me one thing." Hawk said. „How are you doing this? What is the trigger you pull for … this?"

Sylar looked at him, piercingly, not even trying to disguise his hate. „I imagined I would aim for your face." he said bluntly.

Hawk only chuckled at this and nodded. Sylar glared at him. So far the Commander didn´t seem to be alarmed. That was until Sylar raised his hand and threw a wave of fresh fire at the line of guards.

The men went up in bright light and stumbled away, screaming, none of them even getting a chance to think about shooting their weapons. Sylar reached out his hand for Hawk and telekinetically pulled him in, shoving him into the room and pushed him against the wall, his throat in his hand. The door fell shut with a loud bang that echoed in the small room like thunder. All of this happened within maybe ten seconds.

Hawk stared at him in shock, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a fish. Sylar wouldn´t let him speak.

„I wasn´t kidding." he told him and choked him even more.

Outside he could hear the men yelling and knocking against the door. But the door was secure, they´d told him that themselves. And that meant that he had more than enough time to take care of the man under his hand, before he would turn back to them. He faced the Commander with eyes that were on fire, just the way he´d set his men on fire.

„You sir," he addressed him, his hand clinging to Hawk´s throat. „are responsible for the death of someone that meant very much to me. And for that I will make you pay now. Judgement day has come for you. You killed my friend and I want you to die with his name in mind."

Hawk stared at him in confusion but that was something Sylar would wipe away the next second. He clenched his fingers even more around the man´s throat.

„This …" he spoke and pointed his index finger at Hawk´s forehead. „… is for Mohinder Suresh."

The cut started at Hawk´s left temple and slowly moved deeper into his forehead. It felt good. So good. Finally. Finally he could revenge the crime that had been committed by this man. Finally he could …

In this moment the rattling sound of a fired gun and the sound of shattering glass disturbed the peace of this moment. A moment later Sylar felt the piercing pain in his back. Hawk realized what was going on and took advantage of it. His hand grabbed Sylar´s wrist and wound himself out of his grip. A foot kicked him in the stomach and Sylar went to the ground.

Soldiers were jumping into the room through the now shattered glass. Sylar raised his hand and send them flying. Some guns went off but Sylar wasn´t hit again. Instead two of Hawk´s men got shot by their own comrades. Sylar threw fire and lightnings at the once that still lived, practically everything he had, until each of them was either screaming or dead.

His own wounds had healed by now and he stood up. Hawk was nowhere in sight but that was something he could fix. With a movement of his hand, the so far locked door, flew out of its frame and he stepped outside into the hallway. On the ground he found the still smoking remnants of the guards he´d smothered. Above him the alarm went off and the familiar pulsing of the red light illuminated the place. Sylar´s heart sped up again.

„Hawk!" he shouted and inflamed his hands in anticipation. „You can´t run from me." he told his pray. „I´ll come and find you. You hear me?"

From ahead he could hear the shouting of more guards coming his way, and smiled. Well, well. Here we go again.

...

When the alarm went off, Mohinder was just in the process of studying a sample under his microscope. He looked up and immediately checked the guard at the door. The man seemed to tense but otherwise he stayed calm. He took his walkie talkie for a moment and spoke something into it. Mohinder couldn´t understand the answer he got, but he knew, it wasn´t the message that this alarm was a test.

The man threw him a checking glance and Mohinder pretended not to care very much about the alarm. The trick seemed to work. The man at the door turned around and looked outside for a moment. Just long enough for Mohinder to grab the chair and swing it. A minute later the guard lay on the ground, unconscious.

As quickly as he could, Mohinder searched his pockets and took his weapon and walkie talkie. Last time he might have been too slow, but this time he would be there, when Sylar broke free. And it was Sylar, no doubt of it. Mohinder listened to the walkie for a moment, to find out where his friend was at the moment. When he knew it, he left the lab and ran down the hall to get there.

...

The guard flew along the whole length of the hallway and got practically nailed to the wall, his burning clothings smothering his face and drowning his screams. Sylar just walked on. This had been the fifteenth since he´d started his execution tour in the test room, and he was not done yet. There were so much more to kill before it would be enough to make up for the one he was trying to revenge.

And of course he wouldn´t be done before he hadn´t found Hawk. The coward. Should he send his men, should he send every man he had for him, he would gladly take care of them first. And even if the coward should leave this place and try to run away, he would find him, no matter where he tried to hide.

Strange as it was, after this last man that he´d fried, there were no guards coming for him any more. Were they trying to trick him with some other tactic? Should they try. He didn´t care. He had his powers back, maybe not the full potential but more than enough to send them all to hell. Sylar walked on. The alarm was still screaming all around him.

But somewhere ahead, someone else was screaming too. It was no guard, that much was for sure. This one was screaming for help, Sylar could tell even if he didn´t understand the words yet. But the voice. Something was familiar about this voice. He increased his speed to find the source of that screaming. When he came closer, he understood the words.

„Hey!" the person yelled. „I´m in here. Help. Here! Over here! Let me out, please! Heeeyyyy!"

And in this moment, when Sylar spotted the door behind which the shouter was, he recognized the voice. But that was impossible. He? Here? Why?

Instead of wondering about this, he telekinetically busted the door open and the man who´d been hammering against it from the other side, stumbled back in shock.

„Shawn." Sylar cried.

He saw him and still couldn´t believe it. He´d expected everyone but not him.

The fake psychic looked up at him with wide eyes, before struggling back to his feet.

„Dude." he cried. „It´s about time someone came to get me out of here. But I´d never expected it to be you."

„They captured you too?" Sylar asked and felt new rage in his heart. „Is Juliet here too?"

Shawn´s eyes changed from grateful to shocked. „No." he said. „I would never tell them anything about her. You told me what would happen then. And damn, you were right. Dude, you have no idea what they did to me. They killed me at least a dozen times."

Sylar instinctively reached out a hand for Shawn and squeezed his shoulder, feeling the pain of all the memories, he´d been forced to make in here. If that was even possible, he wanted to kill Hawk even more now.

„I´ll get you out of here." he promised Shawn. „Stay behind me."

The fake psychic nodded, a little irritated but grateful nevertheless. „Okay." he said and allowed Sylar to drag him along. „But … I´m actually not the only one." he then recalled. „We´ve got to free the others too."

„What others?" Sylar asked him, never slowing down.

„Well, there are the two girls." Shawn started to list them. „Sofia and Molly."

Sylar halted all the sudden. Had he heard that right? „Molly?" he repeated the name. „Is her last name Walker by any chance?"

„Dunno." Shawn looked at him very helpless. „Could be. I … I dunno."

Sylar clenched his jaw. But that would make sense, he mused. That would explain why the other girl had been so scared off him. If it really was Mohinder´s Molly, who´d told her about him …

„All right." he said and urged Shawn to keep going. „We´ll get them out too. Who else?"

„Ehm." Shawn did his best to keep up with him. „There´s a woman called Sandy." he told him. „She´s totally creepy but I think she´s on our side and she´ll help us. This dude Joe and his nephew. And your buddy Moh …"

A salve of fired bullets cut him off and made him grunt in surprise. Sylar swirled around and saw him break down to the ground.

„Nooo!" he shouted. „Shawn!"

How could that happen? He´d taken extra care that no one had been behind them. Now he looked back there to find the person who´d done this to Shawn, but there was no one. No one he could make pay for this. How was that possible?

On the ground before him, Shawn was coughing, blood trickling out of his mouth. Sylar was about to run to his side, when he heard footsteps approach. The same time, a new salve of bullets was shot, hitting him in the chest. He looked up and realized, where the gunfire had come from. There was a spring gun under the ceiling and while he looked at it, it fired again. This time the impacts threw him to the ground.

Everything around him started to spin. The footsteps were closer now. But all he could see was Shawn, who lay on the ground beside him, not moving anymore.

He´d tried to save him and he´d failed. The way he´d failed to save Mohinder. Maybe he was really cursed. No matter what he tried, everybody that meant something to him, died. The footsteps were right at him now. They were coming from two different directions.

But Sylar didn´t care anymore. He was wounded far too deeply. He closed his eyes so he wouldn´t have to look at the dead Shawn anymore. The footsteps were at him now. Some guns were fired but those sounds were far away. As well as the voices.

...

„Stay right there, doctor." the guard demanded and Mohinder stopped dead in his tracks. The bullets this man had fired over his head, had been enough of a warning. And it was not only about his own life after all.

He raised his hands and looked down on the two men on the ground, before him. Just a little faster, he thought. If he´d been just a little faster. How came it that he was always a few minutes too late?

He looked into the determined faces of the guards before him and knew that he would be the next one lying in his blood, if he made only one wrong move. Clenching his jaw, he dropped the gun that he´d stolen from the guard in his lab and raised his hands.

On the other end of the hallway, he could see Joe Hawkins, framed by two guards. He was looking at the scene with scared but interested eyes. Mohinder met his gaze for a moment but didn´t try to hold it. He could imagine very well what this man would have to say to all of this. The two guards urged him to move and Joe complied without struggle. There was no support to be expected from that side.

Mohinder looked at Sylar. His eyes were closed. And regarding all the shot wounds in his chest, he was probably dead. Once again. But Shawn wasn´t and so Mohinder focused on him and hurried to his side. The young man was only half conscious but he was alive. So far. Mohinder pressed his hands over the wound in his chest and bedded his head on his knees, ignoring the guards that surrounded them.

Mohinder watched them inject Sylar with something, probably to keep him from waking up as soon as his wounds were healed. Someone stepped up beside him.

„This man needs medical attention." he told them at once, holding Shawn´s head protectively. „You must bring him to a doctor before he bleeds to death."

„Since our little Sofia has chosen death over us, he depends on his own healing powers to get out of this alive, doctor." was the cold answer.

Mohinder looked up and into the stern face of D.P. Harris.

„You can take care of his wounds." the Commander told him now. „And then I´ll deal with you." He looked down on him with a grim expression for one more minute before he turned to his men. „Get them to the sickbay." he ordered.

* * *

**You guys know what I want, in order to quickly give you another chapter. ;-) So don´t leave me high and dry.**


	18. Once again, for the last time

**Once again – for the last time**

Last time he´d been taken by surprise when he´d come out in the night and Molly had been awake to talk into him about breaking out of here and all that stuff. But this time, Joe was the one who came to her. This time he had something to say.

„Molly." he whispered at her. „Girl, I need to talk to you."

Her eyes moved over to him and she sat up. She looked as if she´d been half asleep already, even though her eyes seemed very awake and thoughtful.

„What is it?" she asked him in Tamil, immediately picking up what he wanted.

„You were right." Joe told her, glad that he could answer her in that strange language, no one out there at the loudspeakers could understand. „We have to do something to get out of here." he now told her. „And I know what."

She was fully awake in an instant. „What?" she asked eagerly.

„There is this guy." he said. „Sylar? I saw him freak out on the guards today and I think he could get us out of here."

Immediately her enthusiasm was erased. „No." she said and shook her head, fiercely. „He´s a killer, he´s the boogey-man."

„What does she say?" Micah wanted to know, joining them in their little conference.

„She says he´s the boogey-man?" Joe translated it for him. „What the hell is that supposte to mean?"

„No, Molly." Micah told her, obviously knowing much better what she meant. „Listen. Sylar is not bad. He´s …"

„I don´t trust him." Molly burst out, finally speaking English again. „He killed my parents."

„I know." Micah replied sadly. „But … he´s the only one, who can get us out here."

„But I don´t trust him." was all she would say.

„He saved my life once." Micah shared with her. „And you saw that he was with Mohinder when you found him for them. Didn´t you say that? Do you really think Mohinder would have been with him, if he wouldn´t trust him?"

„He was near him, that doesn´t mean Mohinder knew he was there. He could have been lurking for him, to attack and kill him later. As far as I saw it, he _did_ kill him."

Micah just looked at her and didn´t know how to go on.

„We have no time for trust issues, girl." Joe snapped, loosing his patience. „This guy can dismantle the whole building if he wants. But we need to get him out first to give him a chance to kick their asses."

„If we let him out, he´ll kill us." Molly hissed back at him.

„No." Joe cried, a little louder than intended. „Goddammit, don´t you see?" he went on, whispering again. „He´ll kill them and we´ll get a chance to finally get away from here. That´s what you always wanted, isn´t it?"

Finally his words seemed to have gotten through to her. She lowered her eyes to at least think it through. Her face was still hard though.

„How are we supposte to get him out?" she asked, obviously not fond of the idea.

Joe exhaled inwardly. At least she was thinking in his direction. „Micah could do it." he shared his plan with them. „He could cause a blackout in here."

„But … you said your room is separated from the rest of the energy system." Molly recalled, looking at Micah asking.

„Right." Joe said. „That means we need to get him out of here first. You hear me, Micah? Last time you caused the fence to shut down. This time you need to do the full program. Total blackout, you hear me?"

His nephew nodded, only too eager to do what he wanted from him. „But how do I get out?"

„You guys just ask for another round of hide and seek in the garden." Joe answered but Micah shook his head.

„They´ll not let us out there again." he stated matter of factly. „Not after what happened last time."

Joe shrugged. He was still far from giving up. „Then we´ll do the classic." he switched over to plan B. „When in prison someone wants to get out, he plays sick."

„No one will believe that I´m sick all the sudden." Micah argued.

Joe just couldn´t believe it. All this time the boy had tried to talk him into an escape attempt and now that he finally was ready to really try one, he smashed one of his ideas after the other. What the hell was wrong with that kid?

„He´s right." Molly supported Micah with a thoughtful gaze. „But they´ll believe that I would hurt myself."

Joe and Micah looked at her irritated. „What?"

She looked up at them for a moment. But instead of explaining herself to them, she jumped up and ran into the kitchen. For a moment she searched the drawers but then she´d found what she was looking for. A big kitchen knife.

Joe and Micah jumped up from their places, attempting to run over to her. But she turned the knife around and aimed it at her own chest, making them stopp dead in their tracks.

„What the hell are you doing?" Joe cried. „Don´t be stupid, girl. Put that thing away."

„Come on, Molly, don´t do that." Micah begged as well. „What are you doing?"

„It was my fault." she shouted at them. „All of it. Sofia is dead because of me and Mohinder almost died too."

„You´re kiddin, right?" Joe cried. He didn´t understand anything anymore.

„That´s not your fault." Micah tried to talk to her. „Come on, be reasonable."

Molly just shook her head and brought the knife down on her arm. Joe and Micah wanted to bolt for her, but she shouted at them, to not to come any closer. Her eyes flickered upwards for a moment, to the camera, and then she cut her arm.

As if this had been a cue, the door was busted open and guards came running in. Molly took the knife tighter instantly and aimed it at her heart again. The guards stopped a few feet before they reached her.

„Drop the knife, girl." one of them demanded. Another one aimed his taser at her.

„Shoot that thing at me and I stab myself." she shouted. „I will do it! Go away! Get out of here! Get out!"

All the sudden, Joe realized, that her words were not meant for the guards. His eyes switched over to Micah. The boy had understood it too, he could see that in his eyes. He gave his nephew an encouraging nod and Micah used the distraction, Molly had created, to bolt for the door.

One of the guards jumped after him. Before he could grab him though, Joe was at him, punching him in the face. The element of surprise was probably the only reason, why he even landed that hit but that would not keep this guy busy for long.

„Run!" Joe shouted, only a moment before he had a fist in his face.

For a change Micah actually did what his uncle told him and ran. As fast as he could he sprinted down the hallway, the shouting guards already behind him. He knew he wouldn´t have much time, but he didn´t need that much time. He only needed to find one thing and he would have all the distraction that he needed. And then he found it. Only a few dozen feet behind the corner he´d just passed.

He increased his speed one last time, reaching out for the big green breaker box. His hand collided with the surface just in the moment when the guards rounded the corner, all the lights went out and he was in complete darkness.

The guards pulled the triggers of their guns.

...

It had been hours since Mohinder had started to take care of Shawn Spencer´s wounds and he was still not done with him, when the lights went out and he was left in the dark. The guards at the door switched on their flashlights.

Mohinder reached out a hand and grabbed Shawn´s wrist, only to assure himself that the man was still there and his pulse still beating. It did, weak, but it did. What the hell was that again?

„You stay calm, doctor." the guard demanded as if he was afraid he might freak out on him any second. „This is just a power outage. Everything is under control."

But there were sounds coming from outside in the hallway, noise, that belied his statement. Shots were ringing out, people were shouting. Mohinder almost couldn´t believe it. Was it possible that Sylar had managed it to get out again? That fast?

He wanted to storm out there. He wanted to help. But he had a patient that was in serious condition and he needed him too. He´d been able to bandage him and stop the bleeding, but the bullets were still inside of his body and when he wouldn´t get into surgery very soon, he would probably not make it.

As if he´d read his mind, Shawn suddenly grabbed his wrist, startling him. In this darkness Mohinder could barely see the young man´s face. But he didn´t need to see him to hear what he had to say.

„That´s a riot." he croaked. „Don´t stay here because of me. Go. That´s your chance. You´ve got to help them."

Mohinder had no idea how this man could even speak in his condition but in this moment it really didn´t matter. What mattered was that he was right. It was about time that he acted faster, that he actually did something right.

So he stopped wasting time, grabbed the I.V. pole and swung it at the guards.

...

They´d allowed him to heal his own wounds before they´d injected him with the Glycimerine again. At least up to a degree where it wasn´t life threatening anymore. As soon as they´d been sure, he would survive, they´d doped him with a full load of that damn drug. Now he lay on the stretcher again, his brain swirling and his body immobile from the drugs, the wounds and the straps holding him down.

But even in that condition his mind was clear. Clear enough to still remember. To remember what happened and especially his hate for the people who´d done those things.

Again and again he saw Shawn getting hit from behind and going down to the ground. He saw him lying in his own blood, dead because of them. The way Mohinder was dead because of them. They´d killed _them_ but they kept _him_ alive. What for? To torture him? Probably. To gain knowledge from him and eventually powers like his? Certainly.

Bastards. Murderers.

He´d thought he´d hated them before, but now he knew what real hate was. He wanted to crush this lowlife until nothing was left of them but dust. He would burn them. He would make them have their own hell down here. He would push them into the darkness, where they belonged and then he would watch them die in there, listening to their screams of pain and agonie. The same agonie they´d made him go through.

First he´d only wanted to kill them. Now he wanted them to suffer. He wanted them to feel the pain of everything they´d done, a hundred times. He wanted them to feel the bullets they´d shot at Shawn, each bullet a hundred times. He wanted them to feel the shards of glass that had cut into his own skin, when the car had crashed. And he wanted them to feel Mohinder´s broken neck a hundred times, again and again. Until they wouldn´t remember anything from their lives but the pain they´d caused.

They might have suppressed his powers once again, but he would find a way to get them back. They could drug him and bind him as much as they wanted, but there was no strap strong enough and no wall thick enough, against the rage he felt in this moment. He would get out of here and bring darkness over them.

He could feel it in his mind, an eternal darkness and he would hunt them down with it. It was cold. It was merciless. And it was huge and powerful. It was so much stronger now because his hate was so much stronger. They´d hurt him for the last time. Now he would hurt them. Really bad.

He closed his eyes and for a moment he believed, his head must explode from the rage he felt in there. The pressure was almost too much to bear. He could even see, yeah, even feel that dark force in his mind, which demanded that they´d suffer, for what they´d done. It grew inside of him, more and more, like a balloon that got air blown in. A black balloon. A balloon made of darkness and hate.

It reached Sylar´s eyes until it filled his entire mind. Sure it would urge out of him any second. There was just no way that it would stay inside, strong as it was. And when the guards would see it, they would freak out again and shoot him a second time. Maybe for good this time. Sylar didn´t care. He just couldn´t stop it. It wanted to get out. And maybe it was good to let it out. Maybe it would swallow all of them right away, and him, ending his suffering. So he just stopped fighting it and let go.

And then something happened. But it wasn´t anything that happened on the outside. It was something on the inside. Something in his own mind, his body, his brain. All the sudden, the feeling of dizziness, the drugs had caused him, was gone and a moment later, he felt how his body started to heal the rest of his injuries. Barely a minute later, he felt strong and ready to fight the biggest monster. What had just happened?

But then he just knew it. The darkness he´d felt rising in his mind. Somehow it had done that. Somehow it had swallowed the drugs and took it out of his system. Like a sponge that soaked up all the bad milk that was spilled over a floor. And now he was clean again. Literally. Once again Frank Wieland had given him the weapon, he´d needed to get free. The man with the darkest power and the kindest heart.

And then the lights went out all around him, leaving the room in total darkness.

Sylar gasped. This time the guards reacted to the change, so it couldn´t be happening in his mind only. This time it was something real. Had _he_ done that? Had he somehow caused a power outage? But then he heard one of the guards speak into his walkie talkie, asking for a status report.

„We have an escape attempt." the walkie shrieked back. „It´s the boy."

Sylar didn´t wait any longer. He mentally threw the straps off himself and yanked the hose out of his nose, stopping the drugs from pumping up his brain. Flashlights were swirled around and blinded him, but that didn´t bother him much.

„You´re absolutely right." he told the startled guards. „You _have_ an escape attempt."

The men didn´t even get a chance to aim their guns at him, before they got fried with the power of at least ten thousand volts.

Sylar could smell the scent of burning flesh and smiled. This time they wouldn´t stop him. This time he would destroy this place until nothing was left. Nothing and no one.

After the guards in his cell were nothing more than a heap of smoking flesh, he moved his hands and busted the door. He expected an alarm to go off but nothing happened. Of course not. The power was out. Getting to the bottom of it, he really didn´t care if he was the reason for that power outage or not. The darkness was a sign and he knew how to take it.

He inflamed his hands. The light of the dancing fire illuminated the corridor with its red gleam. Sylar´s heart was racing. And then he just the flames back into the cell, he´d just left. The mattress of his stretcher caught fire. So did the table and the uniforms of the already dead soldiers. Sylar smiled, radiantly.

„Let´s get some light in here."

On his way he left a trace of fire behind, never stopped throwing the flames at everything and everyone that crossed his way. Soon the sound of cracking fire was following him, like a loyal dog followed his master. Burn, he thought. Like hell. Because now hell has come for you. He would burn it all down to the ground. Not even Hawk would be able to get away from that.

The smoke was rising behind him. He wondered if they could see it from the outside already. There was a ventilation system but he doubted that the smoke had reached the surface yet. But that didn´t matter. It would, soon enough. He would see to that. He would burn them. For Mohinder. For Shawn. And for Juliet, who would mourn Shawn´s death, so much more than he ever could. But right now he was the only one who could mourn the poor fake psychic. And he would turn grief into wrath. Eternal wrath. No one would leave this place alive.

A sound above him made him halt. That was not the fire. This was some person … coughing. But it didn´t sound like a guard. The voice was that of a younger person. Much younger.

He spotted the ventilation under the ceiling. The coughing came from inside of there. On the spur of the moment, Sylar took off the ground and flew up to have a look inside. So he ripped the grillage out of the wall and held his still burning hand inside the shaft, to see who was hiding there. Someone lay there, at the far end of the shaft. The person was too small to be a grown man.

Sylar frowned. Somehow those black rasta curls seemed familiar.

The boy moved his head and looked at him, his eyes squinting against the smoke that was filling the shaft. When Sylar recognized him, his mouth dropped open.

„You." he cried and put out his burning hand, to not to pump even more smoke into the shaft.

Micah´s head dropped down again, exhausted.

Sylar just couldn´t believe it. He reached out his hand and telekinetically pulled the boy in and out of the shaft. Micah kept coughing, badly and Sylar already feared that he would spit out his lung the next moment. At last he got over it, breathing relatively normal again.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Sylar swirl around, only a second before a bunch of bullets were fired at them. Sylar shot his own ammunition against theirs, and the bullets burned right in the air before him. After the flames consumed the bullets, they went on to the men who´d fired them, making them scream in shock and pain.

Sylar smiled and drank it in. It felt good to kill them. So good.

Something grabbed his wrist and he swirled around. Fortunately he could contain his fire long enough to realize that it was Micah who´d attacked him there. The boy looked up at him, totally fearless, as if they were old friends that had bumped into each other by coincidence. And wasn´t that even true? In some way it was.

„We need to get Molly and my uncle." he told him. „I had to leave them behind."

Molly. Right. Shawn had mentioned her too. By now Sylar didn´t need any more confirmation to know that it was indeed Mohinder´s Molly, they were all talking about. Just the fact that he was talking to Micah Sanders right now, told him that there were no coincidences anymore. So she really was here. Kept here, just like him. Like Micah apparently. And Shawn.

„All right." he nodded at the boy. „Lead the way."

It was amazing how unconditionally Micah trusted him. He just nodded, eagerly and turned his back on him, to show him the way. And that even though he had to remember their last meeting, as clearly as Sylar did, where Sylar´d threatened to kill him, should he ever meet him again. But of course that was ridiculous right now. Right now they were facing a much more dangerous enemy. A common enemy.

But so far that enemy seemed to be busy enough with the power outage – or maybe with the fire, he´d made – to chase them. They passed three corners without running into any guards. At last someone did come their way though. But it was no guard.

„Benny." Micah cried when he saw him.

„You know him?" Sylar asked.

„He brought us food." the boy explained and Sylar mentally shook his own head for not guessing that right away. Hadn´t Benny told him that from the beginning? That he was serving the food to all the prisoners?

What was it that he always ran into him when he was in the process of breaking out of this place? Last time he´d been overpowered, just a moment after Benny had shown up.

Remembering that, Sylar trained his ears to listen for sounds of approaching footsteps. But there weren´t any.

„Please." Benny begged now. „You need to help me. I don´t know where I am anymore."

Sylar was still listening. There were footsteps after all. But only one person. Not a whole group of guards. Odd. Unusual at least.

„Look out!" Benny cried and pointed behind him.

Sylar swirled around, ready to attack, whoever had managed it to sneak up on him. But there was no one. What the …?

„Benny?" he heard Micah Sanders ask, confused, and then he felt a stab in his neck. He immediately reached behind himself, to pull the weapon out of his shoulder, but instead of a knife, he held a syringe in his hand.

„What are you doing?" Micah cried and then a rough voice, that didn´t sound like Benny anymore, ordered him to be quiet.

Sylar felt his head swirl. What had just happened? He turned around and saw Benny, holding Micah in a painful grip. In his other hand, he held a shotgun.

„This was the last time you made trouble, pal." he hissed at Sylar. His face was hard and full of hate and didn´t look like the face of a shy boy anymore. Now he reminded more of a cold blooded killer. No tremble in his voice, the way Sylar had learned to know him from the first day. When he spoke now, his voice was hard and soulless.

„Hawk wanted you alive." he now told him. „But the trouble is not worth the gain. Not anymore." With that he raised his gun, aiming at Sylar´s head, to shoot it off.

Sylar´s legs gave in and he fell down, hit the ground, which was probably the only reason, why his brain was still inside of his skull. All he could think of was: I was right about him. I should have trusted my first instinct. I knew, he was one of them.

But he had dropped his defence and allowed Benny to trick him. And now, he would kill him. It should have been the other way around.

Merciless eyes looked down on him. „Your brain will have to do all on its own." Benny said, aiming his gun at him, ready to shoot his head into a thousand pieces. „Whatever remains of it."

Sylar stared up into the muzzle of the gun before him and waited for the shot.

But it never came. Instead something hit Benny. He started to writhe and jerk and eventually went to the ground.

Sylar´s vision was blurring. He realized that it was probably a taser, that had just saved his life, but he couldn´t see anymore, who´d fired it.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Micah Sander´s voice, calling a surprised and relieved name. But that must have been a dream already.

...

„Dr. Suresh!" Micah Sanders cried after he was free of that man´s grip, Mohinder had just tasered. The boy looked very shaken up.

„Are you all right?" Mohinder asked. But then his eyes fell on the man before him. „Benny?"

Had he made a mistake? But no, that was impossible. He´d seen him holding Micah hostage and aiming a shotgun at Sylar. That was no situation one could misinterpret. But why? Benny?

„I don´t understand it either." Micah agreed but then he dismissed the question and fell to his knees, next to Sylar.

Mohinder was still stunned. That innocent kid, that had helped him in the lab? Why? How?

„He´s still alive." Micah informed him about the killer´s condition. „I guess, he just sedated him." Shaking Sylar, he begged, desperately: „Please, wake up."

But Sylar was out cold.

Finally the geneticist overcame his shock.

„I can wake him up in my lab." he told Micah. „Come on."

The boy immediately stepped aside, so he could lift Sylar off the ground. Mohinder threw the unconscious man over his shoulder and then looked down on Benny one last time. Whatever´d made him chose that side after all, one thing was for sure. He was no ally anymore.

„Where is your lab?" Micah urged.

„That way." Mohinder said and led the way, leaving Benny behind to deal with himself as soon as he would wake up.


	19. Going Down

**Going Down**

Amanda Harris walked up and down in her living room. The power had gone out half an hour ago and she was starting to worry. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones. Even if there was no real evidence for her guess. Even if everything around her was quiet and the only sounds that were upsetting her, were the quiet sobs of Danny in his playpen. The little one seemed to feel as uncomfortable as she did. Or maybe he just sensed his mother´s worries. He was a very sensible boy.

Amanda cursed inwardly. She didn´t want to be the reason for him to be scared but she just couldn´t help herself. Something was wrong, she could feel that in her guts. She wasn´t married to a soldier for so long, without getting a feeling for trouble when it came. And this power outage meant trouble. She didn´t know how, but she knew it.

In his playpen Danny kept weeping.

„Come on, kiddo." Aaron talked to him. „It´s a just the lights that went out. No reason to cry. It´s still daylight, isn´t it?"

The old butler threw a glance at Amanda and she gave him a grateful smile. Usually it would be her responsibility to sooth the kid. But right now, she just couldn´t. If she would try it, she would make him cry even harder. Because he would feel, how scared she really was, despite her assurances that everything would be all right. Danny always knew when she only faked a smile. He was not to be fooled in that regard. Never.

She took her eyes off her little boy and turned around, rising her cell phone to her ear, once again. She´d tried to reach David four times already, but he still didn´t answer. If there was nothing else to raise her suspicion, then this was it.

He always answered his phone. Always. And when he couldn´t in the very moment she called, he would call her back and he´d never needed more than fifteen minutes to do so. Now she´d called four times already and that over the course of thirty minutes. Still he wouldn´t answer. No, there was no doubt. Something was wrong.

Someone knocked on the door and she jumped at the sound. When she met Aaron´s gaze, she could see the worry in his eyes. She told him with a gesture to stay with Danny, before making her way through the living room and to the front door. Two people were standing outside, she could see that through the glass. It took all her strength to open the door.

The blonde detective, that had investigated Roth´s kidnapping stood there. The man next to her, was not her partner though. This man was older and looked even more gruffly than this other detective, if that was even possible.

„Mrs. Harris?" the blonde detective addressed her. „Hello. We´d like to talk to your husband again. Is he available?"

**...**

It was an incredibly nice day. The trees were rustling in the wind and the birds were singing in the sky. The river that ran through that ravine beneath them, was also very nice. Lassiter could very much imagine to go fly fishing at that river one day. But today he wasn´t here to catch a fish. Today he was here to catch something even more slippery than that.

They were walking along that edge for five minutes now, always keeping their eyes open, searching the one place, Sofia had told them about. A path that had to be here somewhere.

She´d written it all down for them. How she´d seen the soldiers coming from that direction, even though she knew that there was nothing but the slope and the river. How they´d shot at her when she´d tried to run and how she´d seen some shape in the slope that looked like a door. Only for a second but she was sure that this door was there and that she hadn´t imagined it. And that she could lead them there. She didn´t know where exactly it was, nor where the beginning of that path would be. But she would find it as soon as she was back here, she´d said.

Lassiter only hoped that she was right about that, because so far, she hadn´t found anything. And then the girl suddenly started running. She stopped again, circa twenty feet ahead of him, setting her foot over the edge, carefully but still far too fast. Lassiter already saw her swan-diving down the ravine and into the river, so he sped up, intending to grab her, before that could actually happen. But he was too slow.

When he reached the place, where she´d stopped, she was already gone. But she didn´t swan into the river. She was still up here, just a little farther below his level. Lassiter and Lauren looked down to her, watching how she balanced her way along a small path that led along the side of the slope. Just like she´d said.

„Son of a bitch." Lassiter mumbled. „She was actually right."

„You want to stand here and wonder?" Lauren asked and shoved herself past him to follow the girl. „Come on." she urged him.

Lassiter grumbled but followed them. He looked down over the edge of that small path and at the river that ran there. Looking down there from that position, was somewhat different than from higher up, where he´d had more space to back up and away from the edge. Looking down there now, made him feel a little dizzy. Dammit. Usually he had no problem with a height like that.

He made himself keep going and after another minute of crawling along this path, they actually found what they came for. The door was metallic and green just like the typical military bunker. Lassiter looked at the doorhandle and cursed.

„Crap. It´s an electrical lock. If we want to open that door, I´ll have to shoot it."

„Understand." Lauren took a step back.

Lassiter nodded at her and took his gun. „I´ll go in there." he told her. „You take the girl and go back."

„What?" Lauren cried. „Are you kidding? Noah´s in there. I´m going with you."

„We can´t leave the girl out here, on her own."

„Maybe you should have thought of that, before we came here."

„What? You want to say now, that this was my idea? I didn´t want her to come. She did."

In that moment, while he tried to wield the responsibility for this mess over at the girl, who wouldn´t be able to argue with him anyway, he noticed that this exact same girl, had used the distraction to slip past him, and reached out for the doorhandle.

„Hey." he cried. „What are you doing? Stop that."

But she´d already pushed the handle down and pulled on the door. To Lassiter´s big surprise, the door went open without the slightest resistance, not even squeaking on its hinges. Lassiter frowned.

„That´s strange." Lauren mused, as startled as he was. „It´s not locked."

„And no alarm is going off either." Lassiter added.

He peeked through the door, aiming his gun inside. It was dark in there. Sofia was about to enter the place, as careless as she´d opened the door and Lassiter barked down at her.

„You stay behind me, understood?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, looking up at him with big scared eyes. He nodded, satisfied that he´d put her in her place, and walked in, his gun aiming at everything that could come out of there. But no one came out. Everything was just quiet.

He spotted a breaker box on the wall right next to the door and went over to it. The little light on it that was supposed to blink was dead. He opened the little box, never lowering his gun, and looked inside. The switches were all down. He reached for one of them and switched it up. Nothing happened.

„Something´s going on down here." he found.

„Maybe we came just at the right time." Lauren whispered behind him. „We should hurry, before they find out, how to deal with this power outage."

Lassiter looked at her and the girl and gritted his teeth. He hated it to admit it but Lauren was right. This really looked like a perfect opportunity and it had presented itself to them in a totally freaky and unexpected way. To waste value time now, to bring the girl back out, was something they just couldn´t afford.

„All right then." he grumbled. „But I go first. And you …" he pointed at the girl. „You stay behind us all the time, understood?"

Sofia only looked up at him with her big eyes and nodded. Understood, her eyes said. Lassiter mirrored her nod.

„I hope so." he said and then he cocked his gun. „Let´s move in."

**...**

They got lucky. They didn´t run into any guards on their way to the lab, not before they actually reached it. Mohinder flinched, only for a second, when the man shouted at him to stop and drop the weapon. The joke in that made him chuckle involuntarily and he almost dropped Sylar because of it. Oh, he was carrying a weapon. But not the kind they thought.

He hurried through the door, looking around for something to block it with. But Micah was way ahead of him. He closed the door and simply lay his hand on it. A moment later, Mohinder heard the lock snap shut. It truly had its advantages to have a technopath with you, when you were on the run. Outside the guards hammered against the door, probably wondering how the electrical lock could work with the power being out.

Mohinder carried Sylar over to his lab table and wiped it free of the useless samples that were stored there, before bedding the killer down. His scan of the place ended very quickly, when he realized, how useless this search was. He didn´t even know what to look for. Without knowing the right substance, he could do more damage to Sylar´s system, than Benny had done it with his injection.

„If I just knew, what he gave you." he mumbled.

„Would that help?" Micah appeared beside him and handed him something unasked. It was a syringe. Empty. The syringe Benny had used to inject Sylar. Micah must have picked it up, probably knowing that it was important.

„Yes." Mohinder exclaimed, unable to believe his luck. He was at his microscope in an instant, facing the fact that it was useless without electricity.

„I need those instruments." he told Micah.

The boy lay a hand on the instruments, bringing them to life again, illuminating the space Mohinder had worked on for all these weeks, knowing that he was working for their incarcerator. This time he would work for his friend.

He opened the syringe and dropped the rest of the substance on a slide. Only a few recalibrations and a quick check, and he knew what Benny had pumped into Sylar, to knock him out.

„That´s it." he cheered. „Yeah, yeah, that´s good. Now all I need is …" he looked around, until he spotted it. „Yeah." he rushed over to a shelf, grabbing what he needed.

„What are you doing?" Micah asked behind him.

Mohinder took a new syringe and then picked up a bottle from the cabinet.

„I wake him up." he answered the boy´s question, filling the syringe. „Now that I know what Benny gave him, I know exactly what I have to give him, in order to neutralize the effect of the tranquilizer."

He went back to Sylar and rolled up his sleeve. It was time for him to wake up.

**...**

Amanda Harris was still not able to completely comprehend, what was going on around her.

„I´m sorry." she managed it to speak up at last. „Is there a problem, detective?"

„We´d like to talk about this with your husband, Mrs. Harris." the elder man next to detective O´Hara replied. Amanda looked into his demanding face and felt anger rise in her chest. Who did he think he was?

„I´m sorry, I didn´t quiet catch your name, detective …"

„Spencer." the man said. „Henry Spencer. And it is really urgent, so if your husband is at home, you should better call him now. We need to talk to him immediately."

„I´m afraid, I can´t do that." Amanda replied, holding up her cell phone. „I´m trying to reach him myself, for over half an hour now. He´s not answering his phone."

The female detective immediately drew her gun and made Amanda skip back in fear. But she didn´t aim the gun at her, the way Amanda´d thought she would. Instead she aimed it at the ground, looking around warily.

„The lights are out, why?"

„We´ve got a power outage." Amanda explained, frowning.

„When did this happen?" Spencer demanded to know.

„About half an hour ago. That´s why I was trying to reach David. What´s going on?"

„Where was your husband before this happened?"

„I … I don´t know. I thought he was at home but if he were here, he would have come to me already. I mean, he would know about the power outage and know that Danny would be scared. He would be here with me, if he was home."

„Except if he wouldn´t be able to come up any longer." Spencer mentioned and exchanged a glance with detective O´Hara.

„Up?" Amanda didn´t understand a single word.

„Mrs. Harris, may we come in? We have reason to believe that there is a very immediate danger, threatening you and this mansion."

„What?"

The elder detective was already in the process of passing her, aiming around the living room as if he expected a bunch of assassins to jump out of the cupboard any second.

„What are you talking about?" Amanda cried after them. „What danger?"

In his playpen, little Danny started to cry again. Aaron stood up and looked at the two gun wielding detectives in his bosses living room.

„Sofia said the elevator was in the library." Spencer told O´Hara.

„Mrs. Harris, we need to see the library." O´Hara demanded.

„What?" Amanda was totally lost by now. „What are you talking about? There is no elevator in this house."

„You sure about this?" Spencer replied.

„Please, Mrs. Harris." detective O´Hara said.

Amanda exchanged a glance with Aaron. This was just ridiculous. Simply nuts. She knew that. But then again, why by all that was good in this world, did she feel so strange all the sudden? As if there could actually be something about all this.

But that was impossible. She knew this mansion. She lived here for months and she would know if there was something like an elevator in it. And she would prove that to these detectives. She moved across the living room and led the way into the library. Should they see for themselves. There was nothing but book shelves in there. Even a blind could see that.

But the detectives didn´t seem to be quiet done with just looking. They looked around the room as if they were trying to figure something out.

„Left of the golden vase, she said." detective O´Hara mentioned.

The elder man spotted said vase and immediately started to inspect the shelf next to it. Amanda could only stand there and watch them, flabbergasted. What the hell were they looking for? A hidden tunnel or something as ridiculous as this? Something like that only existed in spy novels and cheap movies, you could watch on …

In this moment the elder detective had pushed something on the shelf and all the sudden, the book shelf was moving. It swung away from the wall like a door and made the way free for a real door that was behind it. Steeldoors. The doors of an elevator.

Amanda stood there, staring at this and just couldn´t believe it. She watched the two detectives, force the doors open and look down the shaft of this mysterious elevator, and she just couldn´t believe it.

„We need to get down there." the elder detective said, already trying to figure out, how to accomplish that. He obviously planned to climb. Detective O´Hara took out a small hand radio.

„We found it." she spoke into it. „Move in."

Amanda felt like being thrown into the wrong movie.

„What is that?" she demanded to know and finally, the detectives looked at her again. „What is that supposed to mean?" she cried.

The two detectives exchanged a brief glance. The gaze of detective O´Hara was determined when she faced Amanda again.

„Mrs. Harris." she said. „I´m sorry that I have to tell you this, but your husband has people incarcerated beneath this building. We need to get down there to get them out."

„No." Amanda breathed.

„It´s true."

„You are wrong. This can´t be."

„We have a little girl, that could escape from here, a few days ago." Henry barked. „She told us everything about this bunker. My son is one of the people that are kept down there. You can trust us when we tell you, that we know where this elevator leads."

Amanda stood there and just didn´t know what to say. Was she dreaming? This was so unreal. The two detectives seemed to have dismissed her and were facing that elevator shaft again, preparing to climb down it.

„Wait." Amanda cried and stepped forward, making the two of them halt.

She gulped and suddenly realized, that they were not alone in the library anymore. Aaron stood in the door, staring at the elevator with the same confusion, she´d felt.

„There are more of the police out there." he informed Amanda. „I had no choice but to let them in."

Amanda nodded. „That´s all right, Aaron." she said and after a moment of consideration: „Aaron, take Danny and bring him away from this mansion. Somewhere where it´s save. Let one of the officers take you."

„Ma´am?"

„Mrs. Harris?" the voice of Juliet O´Hara made her turn around, looking into asking eyes.

„I´m going with you." Amanda told her.

The detective exchanged another glance with her colleague. „Are you sure?" she asked and Amanda nodded.

„Yes." she said. „I need to know what´s down there."

**...**

It was dark but there was light ahead. Someone was shaking him. Sylar knew immediately that he was waking up from a blackout. But how? The last thing he remembered was Benny, who had been about to kill him. The shotgun that aimed at his face. Micah Sanders who´d been in the traitor´s iron grip. And then …

Someone was leaning over him. „Sylar." a familiar accented voice called his name. „Can you hear me? Sylar."

Sylar´s vision became clear with the shock. That was impossible. Was that really …? That was …

„Mohinder." he cried, jumping up.

Immediately his head started to spin and his vision blackened. His hands grabbed the edge of the bed (?) he lay on and for a moment, he believed, he´d have to throw up. A caring hand lay on his shoulder.

„Slowly." Mohinder´s voice told him. „Take your time. I just brought you back from a drug induced sleep. Your body might not react too well to it."

Alone the fact that he heard that voice again, made the killer overcome his nausea at once. He stared up at his friend, who he´d thought to have lost forever, and just couldn´t believe it. He reached out a hand, grabbing the scientist´s shoulder. He needed to feel that it was real, needed to make sure that he was really there and not just a dream.

Mohinder was in the process of giving him a hand, believing that Sylar tried to stand up and needed support. But the support Sylar needed, was not done with a hand. Instead he pulled the startled scientist in, hugging him desperately, still not able to believe that this was not a dream. But the body in his arms was solid. It was warm, it was breathing, it was alive. And the surprised chuckle he heard, was real. So real.

„Honestly, don´t mention it." Mohinder said and oh god, Sylar could hear the smile in his voice.

He didn´t want to let go, afraid that if he did, all this would be gone again and he would wake up a second time, only to find that this hadn´t been real after all. But he needed to see him. See his eyes and the expression on his face. Startled and alive. Just like always.

So he pulled away from him, holding him at arm´s length.

The dream didn´t end. He was still there. Still looking at him with that startled smile that was so familiar. So alive.

„Tell me that this is not just a dream or an illusion or something." Sylar begged. „Is that really you?"

„Of course it´s me." Mohinder answered, even more confused now. „Why shouldn´t it …?"

He frowned, slowly beginning to understand. „They did´t tell you I´m alive."

Sylar squeezed the shoulder under his hand and shook his head. „I thought you were dead." he told him, unable to keep his voice even. „The last time I saw you alive, was in Switzerland. When they attacked us. And then the car exploded … and you were dead. I thought …"

„I _was_ dead." Mohinder told him, seriously. „According to them, for at least twenty hours. A young girl brought me back to life. She´s a healer."

Memories flooded Sylar´s mind. „I know her." he cried, understanding with sudden clearness. „She healed me too."

„Sofia." a voice he hadn´t expected anymore, spoke up beside them. „But _she_ escaped." Micah told him, urging. „Molly and my uncle are still here."

„So is Shawn Spencer." Mohinder added.

„Shawn." Sylar cried, recalling what happened. „They shot him." „But he´s alive." Mohinder told him. „So far. We need to get him out though. He needs a hospital."

Sylar lowered his gaze and made himself think straight. It wasn´t easy but the thought of Shawn helped him to focus.

„What´s the situation?" he then asked.

„We´re locked in here." Mohinder informed him. „The guards are outside." He looked at him estimating for a moment. „How do you feel? Are you fit for a fight?"

„I was ready for this fight since they attacked us." Sylar replied and the look in his friend´s eyes, told him that Mohinder understood very well, what he meant.

The geneticist nodded at him, understandingly, padding Sylar´s shoulder. Something Sylar´d thought, he would never feel again, for the rest of his life. In some way this small gesture was more powerful than all the hate, he´d cultivated in here, could have been. Oh, yes, he _was_ ready for this fight. Now more than ever.

Micah went over to the door. „I´ll open it at your signal." he told them. „The rest is up to you."

„Don´t worry." Sylar said, glancing at Mohinder. „We´ll take care of them."

The scientist smiled, nodding at him and Sylar mirrored his nod. He took a minute to take in the fact that all of this was indeed real and that he would fight with Mohinder by his side, once again. When he faced the door, he was ready.

Micah closed his eyes, his hand on the door. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes again, frowning.

„What is it?" Mohinder asked.

„I don´t know." the boy answered. „I´m not getting in. I don´t hear them."

„Them?"

„The machines."

A cracking sound from above, made them all flinch and then a familiar voice spoke to them, over intercom.

„Never try to beat me at my game, Micah." Benny said. „I disconnected the circuits of the door from the rest of the system. There´s nothing you can do now. I´m in control. Speaking of which …" he added, a little too lightheartedly and then there was a fizzing sound coming from somewhere. „The gas that starts to fill your lab right now, is of course toxic." Benny explained. „You´ll be unconscious in a few minutes. And Sylar. You better don´t try anything. It´s also highly explosive. Just one attempt of you to block the ventilation, and the whole room explodes. Would be a shame to lose all these value assets that you guys are … but shit happens."

Sylar looked up at the camera that was under the ceiling with burning eyes. He reached out a hand and crushed the damn thing.

Beside him, Micah Sanders had his hand on the door once again but his frown grew more and more frustrated. „He´s right." he spat at last. „I can´t do anything."

Mohinder ripped off some pieces of cloth from his lab coat, holding one of them before his mouth and handing the other to Micah.

Sylar didn´t pay much attention to them. He turned around to find a way out of this mess. There had to be a way. He couldn´t lose again. Not now.

It was a wall that caught his eye. He didn´t even know why. It was just a feeling that drew him there. But there was nothing, not even a table. It was just a blank wall that lay in the shadow. A thick concrete wall, impossible to smash, even with his telekinesis, even if there wouldn´t be a highly explosive gas filling the room.

But then Sylar understood what had caught his eye.

„What are you doing?" Mohinder asked, his voice muffled through the cloth he held before his mouth.

Sylar didn´t even turn around to him and the boy. His eyes were fixed on the wall. Or better yet, on the shadow that was there.

„What are you gonna do?" Mohinder appeared beside him. „You heard, what he said. This room is hermetic. There´s no way out."

Sylar was still not able to take his eyes off that shadow. He didn´t even acknowledge the cloth Mohinder tried to hand him. Instead he reached out his hand to touch the … wall? His fingers _should_ touch the wall. He slowly reached further and further and on a certain point, his movement should have been stopped by the wall. But it wasn´t. He stretched his arm to his full length and still didn´t touch anything.

A smile spread over his face and when he met Mohinder´s shocked eyes, it grew even wider.

„You can walk through walls like my dad?" Micah Sanders asked, his eyes big.

„No." Sylar answered. „But through the shadow, as it seems."

„Frank?" Mohinder guessed it right.

„This man had so much more in his system than he ever knew, Mohinder." Sylar said with an absurd feeling of pride. He looked over his shoulder at Micah, at Mohinder. „Want to leave?" he asked the scientist, offering him his hand.

„Wait." Mohinder cried. „How do we know, this is save? What if we land inside of a black hole?"

„I don´t think we will." Sylar told him, reassuringly. Mohinder was still hesitating. „Would it be better to stay here until we pass out?" Sylar asked and smiled when he saw he´d gotten through to him. „Trust me." he said. "I´ll get us out of here."

Eventually Mohinder took the offered hand, taking the boys hand with his left. Sylar nodded at him, gently squeezing the hand he held. He would not lose him in there. Not again.

His outstretched hand was still unseen in that darkness before them. Sylar took a deep breath, encouraging himself and then he forced his legs move. There was still no wall blocking his way.

Mohinder and Micah followed him inside, blindly, not knowing what would wait for them there. A moment later, they were surrounded by darkness.

Only a minute later, the guards busted the door and stormed in. All they found, was an empty room.


	20. Hate

**Hate**

Noah Bennet had just woken up from his black out, Sandy Morrigan had caused him, just a minute ago. He´d felt disoriented and weak, his head spinning like a wheel of fortune. And then everything had gone dark, lights out all around him, and Noah had known at once that something had happened. Something that could provide him with an advantage. An advantage he must use, no matter how bad he was.

So he rolled off his bed and … lay on the ground for what felt like an eternity, like a Moslem in deep prayer, until his head stopped spinning.

He managed it to stand up, staggering over to the door, trying to think about a way to open it. The locks were electrical and the electricity was gone – obviously considering the total darkness all around him – but that didn´t mean the door was open. But it meant it would be easier to break. The problem was that he was barely strong enough to walk, let alone breaking the door. But he had to try.

So he grabbed the first best thing he could find, what happened to be the floor lamp, and prepared to use it as a battering ram. Only it never came that far. Before he even had a chance for his first try on that admittedly very solid looking door, he heard sounds from outside. A moment later, the door got opened. Two guards came in, probably to make sure he wouldn´t make any trouble.

Instead of ramming the door open, Noah used the lamp to whack it over the men´s heads. It was probably pure luck that he stroke them that favorable, to bring the two men down, simultaneously. The second one was still conscious, but that was something Noah could change very quickly, with a second strike. He took a gun and a flashlight from them and then closed the door, safely to lock them in.

And that was how he got to stumble through the corridors. The dark corridors. He was still fighting against his own head and the nausea that came with the weakness, but he was on his way. Something had happened, something that had taken them by surprise. And if he was lucky, he could make it out of here, before they figured out, what this something was and how to handle it.

Chaos like this was always the best base for a prisonbreak. He knew that. He´d been in situations like that before. And he knew what he had to do. Or so he thought. Until he ran into the bleeding man that sat on the ground, leaning against the wall.

First Noah thought it was a guard. This could very well be a riot of some sort or an attack from the outside. Of course he would come across some dead or wounded guards. But when the light of his flashlight shone on the face of this man on the ground, he saw how wrong he was.

„My god, Shawn." he cried, hurrying to the bleeding man´s side. He noticed the sign on the door beside Shawn. It read sickbay. „What happened?" he asked him.

The fake psychic turned his head to him, his eyes half shut, his face covered with sweat.

„Depends on what you are referring to." he answered with a sluggish voice. „If you mean my condition, I´d say … a good dozen of metallic thingies made painful contact with my back … and just refused to leave me again. If you´re referring to the current situation though … well … that´s not so easy to answer. Because frankly, I don´t know for sure."

„Come on." Noah said and took Shawn under his arm, lifting him up. „We need to get you out of here."

The younger man cried out in pain when Noah helped him to stand up, but somehow he managed it to start walking with him.

„Suresh is somewhere around here." he told Noah while they made their way down the corridor. „I believe he would appreciate a little help as well."

Noah nodded and kept dragging him along. „As soon as I got you someplace save." he said.

**...**

She saw them moving through the dark. It was disturbing. She hadn´t even known that she could find someone in a place like that. A place that technically wasn´t even a place. First she´d thought something was wrong with her own senses. It was such a strange sphere they walked through. But then she´d understood.

She had no idea how Sylar had made Mohinder go with him. Or Micah. He´d probably used a mental force or something like that. Who knew who he´d killed to get an ability like that, that could make people do things they didn´t want. It didn´t matter. Nor did it matter why Sylar had taken them along, instead of killing them right there in the lab. Molly would not allow him to finish this as soon as he reached his target.

_Let them go_, she screamed at him in her mind. _Let them go._

And all the sudden, she didn´t know how and why, Sylar let go of Mohinder and went on alone. Mohinder and Micah left the shadow without him and were free. Save.

Molly gasped. Had she done that? Regarding the confusion of her friends, as well as the killer´s, it had to be that way. Immediately she made herself focus again. Maybe if she could make him set Mohinder and Micah free, maybe she could also make him go somewhere, she wanted him to be.

_Go on_, she ordered Sylar in her mind. _Don´t go back for them. Keep going. Go on._

And he did. He struggled against it, tried to turn back to look for the two people he´d just lost, but in the end he complied. Involuntarily and probably not knowing why, but he did.

Molly almost couldn´t believe it. She´d no idea that she was able to do something like that. To make people go somewhere she wanted them to be. But now that she saw it working, she knew one thing. She would use it to make sure this monster would never hurt anyone again. She would send him somewhere, he would never come back from. And right now there was only one place she could think of, that could accomplish that.

She focused and made him leave the shadow.

**...**

Sandy Morrigan saw the movement in the corner of her eye and swirled around. The little flames on the candles she´d lit had started to dance, even though there was no open window and the door was still closed. Still something had made them flicker.

When she looked around, she saw a man standing there. She´d never seen him before but that didn´t mean anything. Ever since the lights had gone out, she´d expected them to come in and check on her. And she´d been waiting for that to happen. A blackout like that meant they were blind and uncoordinated. And this meant that she had a one in a million chance to finally get out of here.

The first guard who would be stupid enough to open her door, would get what he deserved right away and then she would be gone. She would drain all the energy she would need, to get out and away from here forever. They´d kept her in here long enough. Now she would strike back.

This man had not come through her door but Sandy was beyond caring. It didn´t matter how he´d come in. He would not get out anymore.

She stared at him, his face illuminated by the lights of the candles, his dark eyes full of confusion. Or was it fear? If so, he had every right to be scared.

„What is this?" he asked. „Who are you?"

Sandy didn´t answer. She fixed him with her mind and started to breath in his energy. When he realized that she wouldn´t answer him, he started to head for her but Sandy only needed to intensify her force on him. He immediately felt the difference … and stopped, frowning startled.

„What are you doing to me?" he groaned.

Sandy didn´t answer. She only kept inhaling his energy. It was so much. So powerful. So much more than she´d expected. This man had a lot of energy to give. She could already feel the strength in her hands building up. So much.

„Stop that." he cried, his voice hoarse. „You´re killing me."

Sandy didn´t stop. They´d kept her hostage for months, like a criminal. Now she wanted to get out, no matter what the costs. And if she would leave a trace of dead guards behind, so be it. She´d decided that months ago. And now the time had come, to make it happen. She kept draining.

The man before her tried to keep breathing, but in the end his strength just left him and he broke down, to the ground. His arms outstretched, his eyes wide with the pain, Sandy´s draining still caused him, he lay on the ground and let out one long breath, like a balloon that was down to his last bit of air.

Sandy suddenly realized that she´d held her own breath for quiet a while now and let go of her victim, to breath again. Wow. That had been a lot. For a moment, she considered to take even more, but regarding the unconscious man on the ground, she doubted that this was even possible. Well, maybe he had some more left but the way she felt, she doubted that she would be able to take any more.

She turned around to the door and grabbed the handle. She pulled and a moment later, she held it in her hand. She´d barely used any strength. At least it hadn´t felt as if she´d used much. With shock she stared back at the man, that had given her all that strength.

Never in her life, she´d drained that much. That was amazing. But the door was still closed. She´d only damaged the handle. So she threw it away and lay both hands on the door and pushed. After a few cracking sounds, the door gave in and flew out of the frame, violently.

Sandy´s heart sped up. Finally. Finally she would get out of here.

_Stop! _

Sandy halted. Had she just heard something? But that was impossible. No one was here. Only her and … him.

_Kill him. Don´t let him regain his strength. Finish him._

Sandy frowned. That was a strange feeling. She didn´t know this man and she had no reason to feel anything more for him, than for all the other guards. She´d drained his energy, but not because she hated him. She hated them all in general, but that was exactly the point. Right now it felt as if she hated this man before her in a special way. Why? She didn´t even know him.

_Kill him._

Sandy turned back to him. There was more energy in him. So much more. Maybe if she would … Sounds from outside made her spin around. They were coming. She needed to get out. She had more than enough energy to make it. She didn´t need any more.

So she turned around and left the cell. All she wanted was to get out. Out and away.

**...**

_No. No, don´t go. You have to finish him. Stop._

But Sandy was already gone and she would not come back. Molly cursed.

A hand touched her shoulder and made her open her eyes. Joe sat beside her, looking at her, unsure.

„Molly, kid. Where the hell did you just go?" he asked.

Molly exhaled, to get the tension out of her body. She made herself smile at Joe, reassuringly.

„I know how we can get out of here." she told him. „I saw the way."

„Good." he said. „Did ya see Micah too?"

„Yes." Molly said truthfully. „He found Mohinder. They are on their way out."

Joe exhaled. „That´s good."

„We should go too." Molly urged and Joe agreed.

He allowed her to lead the way, obviously trusting her and her ability to find the right way. And she would. She would find the way. A way to finish what Sandy had started but not brought to the rightful end. Molly didn´t understand why Sandy had spared the life of that monster but one thing was for sure. She would not make that same mistake.

**...**

Joe followed Molly along the corridors. He held the gun he´d taken from that guard tightly in his hand, aiming it to the ground to make sure he wouldn´t shoot anyone by accident. All the time he kept his eyes trained on their surroundings, ready to shoot if guards should try to attack them.

But there were no guards. Sylar had kept them busy with the fires he´d lit in that other part of the bunker. So the way they had to walk, was undisturbed, until they reached the room Molly had been heading for. Why a room, Joe wondered. He´d thought they tried to get out.

She opened the door and then Joe saw him. Sylar. He lay on the ground unconscious. But alive. Still. Joe forgot to breath for a moment. That was the guy, he´d hoped would get them all out of here. And now? What the hell had happened?

Immediately he hurried to his side and checked his pulse.

„He ain´t dead." he found. „But he´s in bad shape."

„He´s a killer." Molly cried. „Shoot him before he wakes up and kills us."

„What?" Joe stared at her, totally taken aback. "Do you even know what you just said?"

„Yes, I do." she told him, fiercely. „Don´t you understand? He´s a monster. He´ll kill us to take our power, if we don´t kill him first. Shoot him. He´s weak now. He can die if you shoot him now."

„Molly …" Joe stood up.

„Do it!" she shouted. „Don´t you understand?"

„I won´t shoot a man that lies on the ground." Joe stated fiercely.

„But you …"

„That´s ma last word." he talked over her. „What the hell is wrong with you?"

Molly stared at him in silence and a part of her wanted to cry. But there was another part of her and that part wanted nothing more than to see this murderer dead. For good. It was that part of her that made her move now.

She jumped forward and reached for the gun in Joe´s hand. If he didn´t want to do it, then she would. Sylar would not get away again. Not anymore.

Joe tried to get the gun back from her, surprised over that attack, but she just wouldn´t let go. Her fingers had become iron around the barrel of the gun. She wouldn´t let go before she hadn´t pulled the trigger on that monster.

„Molly." she heard Micah´s voice call her and then a pair of dark hands reached into the struggle. But it weren´t Micah´s hands.

„Molly, what are you doing?" Mohinder cried but she barely heard him. All she could think of, was shooting Sylar. Killing the monster. Killing the boogey man.

„You can´t kill him." Mohinder cried and made her realize that she´d spoken out loud.

„Yes, I can." she shouted. „I must."

„Molly, no. Give me the gun."

„He deserves to die. He tried to kill you. He´ll try to kill us all."

„No, Molly, he won´t."

Molly didn´t understand, why he was trying to stop her. Had he forgotten?

„He´s a monster." she shouted and he shouted right back at her.

„He´s my friend."

Molly stared at him in shock. It was as if he´d hit her in the face. He stared at her with wide open eyes and all she could think of was: That´s not true. He didn´t just say that. That´s impossible.

„Molly, give me the gun." Mohinder tried it again, his voice calmer this time, quieter. But she wouldn´t. She mustn´t. She had to end it.

„He made you say that." she cried and kept struggling for the gun, her fingers a claw of iron around the cold steel of the weapon. „He has to die."

„No, Molly, please." Mohinder begged and tried to wriggle the gun out of her grip. „Don´t do something you´ll regr …"

And then the shot rang out. Only one. A shock ran through her body and mind. Once again reality was turned upside down. Her ears were ringing, her arms tingling with the aftermath of the sensation. What had just happened?

She was not the only one who jumped at the sound of that shot. Sylar had been coming around for a while already, hearing the voices of arguing people like a faint echo. And then the shot rang out, so loud and close and his eyes shot open. Just in time to see Mohinder standing there, bowed over, his hands on his stomach, slowly stumbling backwards, an expression of shock on his face. He was losing his balance and Sylar jumped up, just in time to catch his fall, before he hit the ground.

The scientist sank back in his arms like a bag of bones. His face was strained with pain, his eyes somewhere on the ceiling as if he was asking some invisible person up there, how this could have happened. The hands on his belly were covered in blood.

Sylar reached over him and tried to press his hands over the wound. An attempt of pure desperation but he had to stop the bleeding. Somehow. Was this really happening?

„Mohinder." he tried to talk to him. „Come on, stay awake. Don´t do that to me. Not again. Don´t fall asleep now. Come on, talk to me."

„M … Molly." the scientist brought out, a thin trickle of blood on his mouth.

Sylar looked at the girl. She just stood there, the gun still in her hand, an expression of pure shock on her face. But that expression was wiped away as soon as her eyes met his. The killer´s eyes.

Sylar could see the change happen as if it happened in slow motion. Her shock became rage. Her fear became hate. Pure hate. He knew what she saw. She saw him, the murderer, leaning over a wounded Mohinder, with his hands in his blood. It was so clear as if it was written on her forehead.

She raised the gun and aimed it at him, shouting at the top of her lungs: „This is your fault! I´ll kill you for this!"

„Molly." Micah cried, attempting to run over to her but Joe held him back.

„Come on, kid." the man said, without letting go of his nephew. „Don´t do this."

„Molly, please stop." Micah begged. But she ignored them both.

„You killed my parents." she said, her eyes fixed on Sylar, as if he was the only thing in this room but her. „And now you do it again. I KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

„I know." Sylar said, holding out a hand. „I know, I did the worst to you. I can never make up for what I took from you. But don´t make that same mistake, Molly. Don´t cross that line. You don´t want to be like me. You don´t want to be a killer."

A hand touched his shoulder, startling him. Mohinder. Sylar immediately turned his full attention back to him, Molly and her gun forgotten.

„Bring her out of here." Mohinder whispered. „Make sure she´s save."

„Of course, I will." Sylar said, frantically. „But you …"

„Promise …" Mohinder insisted.

„You´ll come with us." Sylar insisted right back. „Mohinder. You hear me? I´m not leaving you here."

„Promise to get her out …"

Sylar heard the sound of something metallic hitting the ground and then Molly was on her knees, right next to them. Behind her, Joe leaned down and picked up the gun she´d dropped, letting it vanish in his pocket.

Molly didn´t notice any of this. Her whole attention was on Mohinder.

„I´m sorry." she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. „I´m so sorry, I didn´t want this."

Mohinder reached out his hand and pulled her in for a hug. She threw herself over him, desperately sobbing on his shoulder. Sylar watched the whole thing and didn´t know what to do, other than to keep his hand pressed on the wound. His friend was wounded and he didn´t know how to help him. Once again. No. He couldn´t lose him again. Not like this.

Mohinder opened his eyes and looked at him, over the writhing shoulder of the girl. His eyes were pleading. But not for himself. For Molly.

Sylar shook his head. He couldn´t accept that. He didn´t want to. But Mohinder´s eyes begged him to do just that. He told him without words, that it was all right. That he only needed to know that Molly was save. Promise me, his gaze said.

Sylar closed his eyes, trying to keep his tears inside. Mohinder was asking him to be strong, to save Molly and he would not break his promise before he even gave it. At last he nodded and Mohinder exhaled, relieved. He nodded back at him, gratefully. The hand he lifted to lay it on Sylar´s shoulder, was shaking.

The killer grabbed the hand of his dying friend and squeezed it, so tight that it had to hurt the other man. But he didn´t care if it did. He just couldn´t stop it. He held his hand as if he could keep him from dying, if he just held him tight enough. But of course it didn´t work. The hand within his own, went limp and the eyes that looked up at him, fell shut and he couldn´t do anything to stop all this from happening.

„No, please." he cried silently. „Please, don´t."

But he was gone. For the second time.

Molly finally released Mohinder´s neck and stared down at him in shock.

„No." she cried, trying to shake him awake. „Nooooooo!"

Sylar closed his eyes and this time, he lost the fight against his tears. Why did he have to relive this nightmare? Why did this have to happen?

Molly stared at her hands. They were covered in blood. Mohinder´s blood. And that was her fault. Hers alone.

Sylar only noticed on the edge of his perception, that the girl was backing off. It needed Micah´s voice, calling her name, to make him realize what was happening. When he looked up, he saw her running out of the door.

„Molly!" he cried, but she was already gone.

Micah was about to follow her but Joe held him back, once again.

„I need to help her." the boy cried, struggling against his uncle´s grip.

„You can´t help her." Joe told him, matter of factly. „Believe me, I´ve seen that gaze on people in the streets. She´s gone mad."

„No. We must save her."

„Your uncle is right, Micah." Sylar spoke up, his voice heavy and tired. „You can´t help her. _You_ can´t."

„So what do we do now?" Joe wanted to know.

Sylar´s eyes searched Mohinder´s dead body again. „I made a promise." he stated. „You two go and get out of here. I´ll go and get Molly."

„I want to come with you." Micah cried but Sylar shook his head.

„No. I need you to be save." he lay his hand on Mohinder´s shoulder, one last time, before standing up. „Don´t worry." he said and for a moment it wasn´t quiet clear, if he spoke to Micah or to the dead man on the ground. „I´ll find her." he promised and finally faced the two living people again. „And now go." he demanded. „Go."

Joe didn´t wait for him to say it twice. He dragged his nephew out of the room and made him follow.

Sylar watched them go. He threw one last glance at his dead friend on the ground, feeling the pain in his chest again. But it wasn´t as devastating as it had been the first time. This time it was a dull throbbing pain. Maybe because he´d accepted that he´d lost him, a long time ago. Maybe because he was so weak and tired. Or maybe it was because he knew that there was someone out there, that was still alive and needed his help.

Anyway, he´d made a promise and he was going to keep it.

"I see you in the next life." he spoke quietly into the room, before turning around to leave and find Molly. Just the way he´d promised it.


	21. Lost and Found

**Lost and Found**

Lassiter peeked around the corner. The corridor was empty. So far they´d been lucky not to run into a fight. Guards had crossed their way but so far they´d been able to hide from them, using this darkness for their advantage. And it had worked. It had also taught them that indeed something was going on in here. Probably a riot of some sorts, otherwise these guys wouldn´t run around like maniacs.

Lassiter tried to imagine what Spencer had pulled off to let this situation get out of control so much and of course he had to give up. Never since he knew that man, he´d been able to predict what he would do. How was he supposed to guess it now? But whatever he´d done, this time Lassiter actually wanted to high-five him for it. The timing was just perfect.

He heard footsteps approaching, once again. They were running. Lassiter ducked behind the corner, keeping Lauren and the girl behind himself. Two people came running down the corridor, a big one and a small one. The bigger guy was holding a flashlight and a gun. Lassiter prepared to fire.

Just when he was about to yell his usual line, the girl rushed past him, running down the corridor. He just couldn´t believe it. Could this kid never stay behind? She was worse than Spencer.

The two guys decreased their speed at the girl´s approach and then she threw herself at the smaller one. He almost fell. Lassiter couldn´t believe his eyes.

„Sofia." the boy cried surprised.

The bigger guy raised his arm, aiming his gun at Lassiter. But the detective was faster. He fired a warning shot into the wall, right next to his ear, making him duck and cover, pressing himself against the wall.

„Freeze." Lassiter yelled. „Drop your weapon."

„Forget it, man." the guy cried back at him. „You drop yours."

Lassiter shook his head, startled. Was that guy for real? A moment later, Lauren urged his arm down.

„What are you doing?" she hissed at him. „They are prisoners, don´t you see that?"

„You bet we´a pris´ners." the guy cried. „And I´m not goin back there."

„But we need to go back there." the boy argued.

„What?" the other one cried. „Are you nuts?"

„Dr. Suresh." the kid said. „Sofia can save him."

„Suresh?" Lauren called out. „What about him?"

„He´s dead." was the quick answer. „He got shot. Please. Sofia can bring him back. We have to try it."

„We´ll not even get close to him again." the elder guy argued with the boy. „The guards are everywhere."

„But we owe it to him." the kid cried.

Lassiter exchanged a glance with Lauren. They agreed in silence that this standoff was over and stepped out into the corridor, to meet up with these people. The argument weather or not to go back to save Suresh, was still not solved.

„Listen." Lassiter interrupted the two of them to keep his head from exploding. „We´re looking for someone in here." he told them. "Two men. One is tall and calm and experienced. The other one is small and skinny and he never stops talking, even though you tell him to stop over and over again." He met Lauren´s gaze, flinching for a second. "Their names are Noah Bennet and Shawn Spencer." he went on, demanding his information. "If you know where any of them might be …"

„I know that Dr. Suresh left Shawn at the sickbay." the boy told him eagerly. „Bennet though …"

„I think they brought him back to his cell after the last test." the elder guy added. „But that´s the other way."

„Then we have to split up." Lauren decided, before Lassiter even had a chance to say anything. „You go with them and save Suresh." she told him. „I go on and keep looking for Noah."

„You sure you are okay alone?" Lassiter asked her.

„Don´t worry." was all she would say and then she nodded at him. „Good luck, finding your friend."

Lassiter mirrored her nod. „Yeah, you too."

„We stay in contact." she added and with that she was on her way.

Lassiter looked at the three people before him, gritting his teeth. Wonderful. More civilians in a place where they didn´t belong. God, he hated that. And the way it looked like, he was on his way to pick up even more of them.

„The name´s Joe, by the way." the elder of the two guys introduced himself.

„Lassiter. Head detective. Don´t worry, I´ll bring you out of here alive …"

„But first we need to save Dr. Suresh." the boy talked over him once again, already running, back the way they´d come, Sofia always by his side. „Come on. Let´s go." he urged. „Before it´s too late and we won´t get through to him anymore."

„What do you mean, before it´s too late?" Lassiter asked bewildered, hurrying after those kids, who could obviously not wait to get shot. „Why shouldn´t we be able to get through to him? Are they surrounding the area?"

„No." the boy replied, never slowing down. „The place is on fire."

Fantastic. Lassiter didn´t know what was worse. Having to save Spencer from a secret facility like this, that actually experimented on people like in a bad science fiction movie, or having to save him from a secret facility, that was already burning to the ground. And while he was already at it, he just realized that there was another point in all of this, that he didn´t like. Hadn´t this boy just said not a minute ago, that Spencer had been left in the sickbay?

Before he had a chance to think about this even more, they reached a door and this door led them right into a room that looked … like a living room? Lassiter moved his flashlight around to make sure he didn´t see it wrong. But it was indeed a living room. There was a couch and a coffee table and even a TV. That was weird.

He´d expected everything from a torture chamber to the laboratory of a mad scientist right out of Frankenstein, but not a living room. The only thing that looked like something he´d expected to find in this place, was the dead body on the ground. It was indeed Suresh who lay there, in a puddle of his own blood.

The lights went on all the sudden, blinding Lassiter. But that didn´t stop him from swirling around and aiming his gun at … the boy. He stood by the door, his hand on the light switch. His eyes were closed, as if he was listening for something. What the hell? A moment later the kid opened his eyes again and hurried over to Suresh, not even acknowledging Lassiter and his gun.

Sofia was already kneeling down by the dead doctor´s side. Now with the lights back on, Lassiter could see much better what had happened to him. The fact that Suresh had died of a shot in the stomach, reminded him of his own injuries, that he´d obtained a few days ago. His hand subconsciously wandered to his own belly, while he watched the girl lay her hands on the scientist´s chest. She closed her eyes.

**...**

„It´s no use, he needs a doctor." Olson cried. „We need to get him to the sickbay."

Hawk kept his hands pressed over the gaping wound of the man before him.

„All right." he hissed and skipped aside at last, to let the Corporal take over. „You take this." he ordered and waited until Olson had his hands on the wound, pressing the cloth down on it. „I´ll get a stretcher." he said.

He´d just stood up, when the lights came back on. Hawk looked up, but only for a moment. The men before him drew his attention, inescapably. Three of them were dead, after their encounter with Sandy Morrigan and the fourth one was bleeding to death, right in front of his eyes.

Olson was pressing his hands on that man´s chest in a last hopeless effort to keep him from dying.

„Hold on." Hawk said. „I´ll be right back."

He started to run. God, how could this happen? This was his base. It was better secured than the White House or Area 51 and still these people had managed it to take them down. Almost. Still. Every single one of his men who died in here, was one too much. And this was his fault. If he´d been a little more careful, a little more aware, all these things might not have happened.

But wallowing in self-pity was not helping anyone right now. Right now the only thing that mattered, was to get back control over his base. And to get a stretcher back to Olson and the dying man.

Hawk sped up, hurrying along the corridors. When he rounded another corner, he suddenly ran straight into a group of people that were not supposed to be here. Not at all.

„Amy!" he cried, staring at his wife. „How did you get …?"

„Oh, my god." she exclaimed, looking him up and down. There was an expression of pure horror on her face, when she backed away from him. „Oh, my god, David. What have you done?"

Hawk looked down himself and saw the blood, that was still on his hands.

„No." he cried. „This is not what you think. Anderson was wounded. We had a fight with a woman that is highly dangerous. I tried to help him. Olson´s still with him but he needs …"

„What have you done, David?" she repeated. It was as if she hadn´t heard any of his words.

„Amanda."

„That´s enough." the man next to Amanda cried and aimed his gun at Hawk. „I want to know where my son is. Right now."

„And the others, you´re holding hostage here." detective O´Hara added, aiming at him as well.

Hawk looked into their stern eyes and at their cocked guns but only for a moment. His attention was drawn back to his wife´s shocked expression. She looked at him as if he were a monster. But he wasn´t. He was only trying to save what he´d build up. He needed her to understand that.

„Amy …"

„Get away from me." she hissed and skipped back even more, avoiding his reached out hand as if it were poisonous. She looked at him, shaking her head, fighting against tears of hate and disgust. „What have you done down here?" she demanded to know. „Our son was sleeping right above it."

„I was just trying to help mankind." he attempted to explain himself.

„To help mankind." she repeated as if he were crazy. „What are you talking about? You were. Experimenting. On people."

Hawk threw a glance at the detectives and of course he knew how she could know that.

„They told me everything." she affirmed, her voice hard. „I know what you did down here." she shook her head. „How could you, David? How could you do something like that?"

He didn´t know an answer to that. In this moment, he felt like the biggest criminal that had ever lived on this planet. How? How was it possible that he didn´t know anymore, why he´d done all this? Just a moment ago he´d still known. And now? Now all he could see was the accusing gaze of his wife. The one woman he would have done everything for. The mother of his son.

At last Shawn Spencer´s father broke the silence between them.

„I´m really sorry that I have to cut this clarifying talk short." he spoke. „But I came here for a reason. So tell me now. Where is my son? And you better tell me that he is alive, pal."

„And well." Juliet added.

Hawk stared into her eyes and felt cold. „He´s at the sickbay." he told them. „I was just on my way there, to get a stretcher for my wounded man."

„Sickbay." the elder Spencer repeated.

„What did you do to him?" Juliet demanded to know.

„It wasn´t me." Hawk cried. "He tried to run and … Ashton, one of my men …"

„Oh, my god." Spencer exclaimed. „What did he do to him?"

„I bring you to him." Hawk promised. It was no use to stand around here and discuss it. Especially not since there was still a murderer on the loose in this base. One that could attack them any moment. If they didn´t want to be sitting ducks, they had to keep moving.

The elder Spencer seemed to agree with him.

„You do that." he growled at him. „Bring us to him."

Hawk threw one last glance at his wife. She only looked back at him as if she would love to shoot him herself. Never in his life Hawk had felt so defeated, not even when he´d been under enemy fire. Her gaze never even flickered. It was so hard. He´d never seen her like this.

The Commander, that had fought in wars and survived it, sighed heavily. After another moment, he turned around and led the way.

...

The dead man on the ground, opened his eyes, gasping loudly, as if he´d just surfaced from a long dive under water. Lassiter jumped, cursing in silence. Goddammit, he would never get used to these things.

Suresh took some labored breaths, looking around with bewildered eyes.

„What happened?" he asked. „I thought, I was dead."

„You were." Micah told him. „Sofia brought you back."

The newly resurrected scientist looked at the young girl. For a moment he looked as if he didn´t quiet understand what the boy´d told him but then he smiled, almost chuckled as if amused, and nodded at her, gratefully.

„I owe you my life once again." he said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

The girl smiled back at him and to Lassiter it looked, as if she was relieved. What had she expected? That he´d hit her?

The geneticist looked around the room. „Where´s Molly?" he asked. "And Sylar?"

„Molly ran off after you …" Micah stopped, not quiet able to finish that sentence with the word `died´. „Sylar went after her." he went on. „He told us to leave but then we ran into these two."

Mohinder´s eyes met Carlton´s, for the first time since he´d woken up and the detective could see the relieve, that came over the doctor. In this moment it was as if he could read the other man´s mind. Thanks god, they finally found us.

Carlton had no idea what they must have been through, while being incarcerated here. Or what Spencer must have been through, he added in his mind. He didn´t quiet understand it himself, but the idea that those things might have happened to the fake psychic, was somehow worse than the idea that it had happened to the others.

„Thanks for coming back for me." Suresh said, to the boy. „But now you should leave. I´ll go after Molly and Sylar. Detective Lassiter will bring you out of here safely …"

„Wow." Lassiter cried, stepping forward. „Stop right there, doc. Slow down. I came here to find Spencer and as long as I don´t have this idiot, I will not leave, you hear me?"

For a moment the geneticist stared at him in surprise. A moment later, he understood and nodded, very subtle. Lassiter saw it anyway.

„_You_ can make sure that these two get out of here safely." he stated matter of factly, ignoring the disagreeing look in the scientist´s eyes. „So that is what we´re gonna do." he started but then a deafeningly loud bang, echoed through the room, cutting him off.

They all swirled around, facing a closed door. Lassiter just couldn´t believe it. There had been no one out there. He would have heard it if anyone had snuck up on them. Even more did it confuse him, to see that this door, didn´t even have a handle. He tried to push it open with his shoulder but it just wouldn´t move. It was locked.

„Thanks for reactivating the electricity, Micah." the voice of a man came out of a loudspeaker.

„Benny." Micah said in a low tone.

„Ashton." Lassiter said in an even lower tone.

„Sofia." Benjamin Ashton just went on. „Nice to have you back. Actually I thought it would be harder to catch you all, but that you  
would make it that easy for me … very appreciated. So if you would excuse me now. There are some more I have to take care of. Until we speak again … make yourself at home."

**...**

Molly was stumbling along the corridors. Her heart was pounding and her mind screaming. She still couldn´t believe what had happened. Mohinder was dead and she was the one who´d killed him. She. Not Sylar. Not the murderer. She.

She looked down on her hands and the blood on them was screaming accusations at her. Murderer. Damnation. Guilt. She´d wanted to protect them all from Sylar and instead she´d killed Mohinder. The man that had been like a father for her.

And Sylar? She still couldn´t believe what Mohinder had said. That he could have truly meant those words. She´d been convinced that it had to be a lie, planted in Mohinder´s mind by Sylar to make him do what he wanted. Violent force on his mind. It had to be like this.

But Sylar had cried when Mohinder had died. Those tears had not been a lie. It had not been an act to trick her or anything like that. At least it hadn´t looked like one. And that was the part that was really disturbing her. That this monster had truly seemed repentant about Mohinder´s death. As if he was really his friend.

But that was impossible. Mohinder´d hated Sylar, ever since she knew him. He´d never talked about him in any other way than that, had always called him a monster. He´d always tried to protect her from him.

Something was wrong with that picture and she just couldn´t figure out what it was. She must have overlooked something. All of this, all those inconsistent things just couldn´t fit. It just couldn´t be real, the way she´d thought she´d seen it.

But in the end not even that mattered anymore. The only thing that still mattered, was that Mohinder was dead. And she was the reason for it. She.

Her legs started to tremble and she walked slower and slower, until she finally stopped. For a moment she just stood there, supporting herself on the wall. She just wanted to sit down and cry, wanted to stop running and fall into a merciful darkness, to forget all this. She wanted to die. But even for that wish, she was far too desperate right now. She leaned her head against the wall and started to cry. But more than a sob didn´t get over her lips.

A sound made her jump and hold her breath. Was that Sylar? Did he come after her?

There it was again. Footsteps. She was sure, it was him. Who else could it be? Now he´d come to kill her. At last. And maybe that was only fair, after what she´d done.

The person in question rounded the corner and Molly straightened, expecting her rightful punishment from Sylar´s hand. But it was not Sylar who came around the corner. It was Benny. Benny!

„Molly." he called her name. „My god, are you all by yourself?"

Molly wanted to answer, wanted to tell him what happened. But in this moment, when she looked into his concerned eyes, her insides were falling apart and she started to cry again. Benny hurried over to her and took her into his arms.

„It´s all right." he said. „Everything will be all right, I promise."

Molly wanted to believe him. What else was left for her to believe? When he looked at her, he was smiling, reassuringly. And for a moment, Molly thought that she really could believe that everything would be all right again. Even though she had no idea how this should be possible, with Mohinder being dead.

But looking into Benny´s gentle eyes, was something that could build her up again, no matter how bad things might be.

„Come on." he said. „Let´s go. I bring you someplace save."

Molly nodded with a tiny sniff and allowed him to lead the way.

**...**

Lauren flattened herself against the wall, peeking around the corner. She was doing this for what seemed like an eternity now. Since the lights were back on, she was a much better target and thus she had to be much more careful on her way through these corridors.

There were footsteps in the other corridor. Someone was coming. But she was pretty sure it were no guards that walked there. Therefor the steps were far too slow. And too weak. So maybe she´d come across a new group of prisoners here. Maybe even Noah.

She peeked around the corner, almost not daring to hope for that … and there they were. It really was Noah. He was dragging a wounded Shawn Spencer behind, who seemed barely able to stay on his feet. Noah himself didn´t look much better. He was pale and sweat stood on his forehead.

Lauren hurried over to them.

When Noah´s eyes met her´s, his face seemed to fall apart.

„Oh god, Lauren." he exclaimed and slung his arm around her, the one he didn´t need to hold up the half unconscious Shawn. „I´m so sorry." he told her. „I didn´t know if you´d made it. I didn´t know what else to do, I just …"

„It´s all right." she interrupted him. „I´m fine. Now let´s get the hell out if here."

„You need to help me." Noah said, sounding far too weak for her liking. „I can´t carry him much longer. Not alone."

„And that since I´m holding my ideal weight for years now." Shawn slurred. „Strange, ain´t it?"

Lauren immediately grabbed Shawn from the other side, helping Noah to keep dragging him along.

„Lassiter, Juliet and Henry Spencer are here with me." she told them. „We separated a while ago to cover more ground. A bunch of Company agents have secured the mansion upstairs."

„God, that sounds so good." Noah exclaimed.

„The little girl that saved you, gave us all the information we needed. With her testimony we can nail this whole operation, even before a regular court if necessary."

„Sounds good."

„Only that you won´t get out of here again." a voice from above made them halt in their tracks. „Neither you or the girl."

Shawn raised his head, squinting against the light. „Benny?" he asked confused. „What are you doing up there, dude?"

„Talking about our dear Sofia." Benny just went on, ignoring Shawn. „Your young friend there is in a really bad shape, isn´t he? So are you, Noah. Okay, maybe you would make it out of here anyway, but Shawn surely won´t. You won´t get very far with him."

Noah and Lauren exchanged a glance, neither of them said a single word. They just kept moving again. It was a hard piece of work though, now almost harder than it had been before. It was as if Shawn had gotten heavier these last few minutes.

„He will die." Ashton´s voice told them. „Accept it."

„What do you want?" Noah asked. „Why do you talk to us? Why don´t you just send your gorillas our way? Huh? Do you enjoy this?"

„Oh, I will send my men to you." Ashton said. „Don´t worry. I just thought, I give you a chance to get out of this alive. All three of you. Especially your young friend there. You see, the little girl that can save his life, is here in this base again and I would allow her to heal your friend."

Noah exchanged a wary glance with Lauren and they were both thinking the same.

„Why?" Noah spoke it out. „Where´s the catch?"

„The catch is pretty simple." Ashton answered. „You surrender. You see, I locked Sofia and some of your other friends in a cell and I would allow you to accompany them. Sofia can heal Shawn and he survives. Otherwise you try to shoot your way out of here, but I doubt that he´ll be able to make it around the next corner."

Noah looked ahead and like on cue, there were some soldiers, taking position at the corner. Ashton hadn´t lied when he´d said, he would send his men after them.

„Don´t shoot." the bastard now ordered them, adding a meaningful: „Yet."

Noah gritted his teeth.

„So what do you say?" Ashton demanded an answer.

„Man this is such a mean question." Shawn slurred weakly.

Noah hesitated. Shawn was still hanging on him, making his shoulder hurt more and more each minute, as if he was carrying a bag full of heavy stones. It was true what Ashton said. They wouldn´t come very far with him anymore. Not in his momentary condition.

„All right." he spoke at last. „We accept. You let us bring him to Sofia."

„Good choice." Ashton praised. „So if you want to follow my instructions then?"

**...**

Hawk stood there with his hands raised and looked at the confused and desperate faces of the two detectives before him. They´d just entered the sickbay and found it empty, when Ashton´s voice had started to come over intercom, not talking to them but to Noah Bennet, somewhere else on this base.

„What is that supposed to mean?" Henry Spencer demanded to know. „Where do they bring my son?"

„I don´t know." Hawk replied. „But I do know where Ashton is. There´s only one room in this base, from where he can broadcast like this. I can bring you there."

„Why would you do that?" Spencer demanded to know.

„To stop him." Hawk replied, sternly. "He obviously took over my base and I did not give him the order to do that. That´s a violation of my command. What he´s doing there, is not in my interest and I want him to stop, as much as you do."

„Why should I believe you?" Spencer asked. „Tell me why I should allow you to get there, maybe only to get the control back yourself?"

„But if we could see what Ashton sees, we would know where Shawn is." Juliet said.

„I´ll find my son without that too." Henry argued.

„And we could take over control of this place." Juliet went on arguing as well.

Henry looked at her, uncertain. „Shawn needs us now."

She nodded. „But we won´t be able to do anything for him, as long as this man is in control over the place."

Henry understood. „So we split up then."

„Seems we have no other choice."

He nodded. „I´ll go to find Shawn." he said.

„And I will stop this bastard Ashton." Juliet cocked her gun. „I still have a depth to repay with him."

„Make that two of us." Hawk added, only to have her aiming at him.

„You, sir. Will show me how to get to him." she ordered. „And if you make only one wrong move … I´ll shoot you."

„Don´t worry, Juliet." Henry spoke up again. „He won´t make any wrong move. Because he don´t want anything to happen to his wife. Isn´t that right, Commander?"

Hawk stared at this man that called himself a cop and just couldn´t believe what he´d heard.

„You woulnd´t dare to hurt her."

„Oh, not me, that´s right." Henry Spencer replied. „But there are still fights going on out there. And I can´t guarantee her safety. So you better see to it that your men surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise …"

But he didn´t need to say anymore. Hawk had already understood.


	22. Understanding

**Understanding**

He´d thought it would be harder to find her. That he would have to turn the whole place upside down before he would see her again. She had no reason to let him find her after all and maybe she would hide from him as soon as she knew, he was following her. But instead she was shouting at the top of her lungs, maybe not for him but for someone to come and find her.

„Help!" she shouted. „Let me out of here! Help! Heeeelp!"

Sylar hurried along the corridor until he found an open door. Why was she not coming out if the door was open? But then he saw why. She was bound to a hose with a pair of handcuffs. When she saw who´d heard her cries for help, she fell silent, her eyes hard and careful.

Sylar knew what she thought. That he´d come here to kill her. The way he´d tried it so many years ago. He could see it in her eyes. But what she thought of him was not important right now. Important was that he got her out of here, before it was too late. Before the fire, he´d set got out of control.

Molly skipped back when he hurried inside.

„Don´t be afraid." he told her. „I´m here to help you."

„You are a murderer." she said, her voice quiet, choked.

„No." he shook his head, kneeling down before her. „I know you have no reason to believe me. But I´m not the man you once knew. Not anymore. I want to help you."

„Why?" she asked, almost sobbing.

„Because I promised Mohinder to get you out of here." he said and carefully moved his hands to her wrists, to the cuffs. She flinched, looking down on his hands. She was still tensed as hell, when her eyes met his again. „I promised him that you´d be save." he kept talking to her. He had to swallow the lump in his own throat, before he could go on. „He was my friend too, Molly. Please, don´t make me a liar before him. Not today."

The girl held his gaze and he could see the tears in her eyes. The tears she was holding back, swallowing it, not ready to let him see her cry. But the tension was leaving her body, nonetheless. Just a little, but it was enough for him.

He lowered his eyes, focusing on the cuffs. He needed to get them off. But he was still weak, after this woman had drained his energy and his telekinesis just wouldn´t come to him. For the first time in years, he couldn´t make something move when he wanted it. He cursed and tried to break the damn things with his hands. It was no use. They were too tight.

But that didn´t mean, he´d give up. He looked at Molly, making her flinch and once again when he reached out a hand for her head.

„No, no. I just need something from you." he told her and carefully removed a single hair clip.

Molly watched him, putting it into the lock of the cuffs. First he believed the idea had been a dead end too, but then he felt the connection within the little mechanism. There it was. Now he only needed to find the right point to press.

„You know how to crack a lock?" Molly whispered, surprised.

He glanced up at her and couldn´t help the amused smile that came over him.

„I used to be a watchmaker." he said with a shrug. „A lock is not so different." He turned back to the cuffs. „You don´t always need a power to accomplish something." he mumbled, more to himself than to her. And then he heard the sound he´d been waiting for.

_Click._

The cuffs jumped open and Molly gasped, struggling to her feet before he could even wind them off her wrists. She massaged them for a moment and then her eyes met his again. The uncertainty was back. She skipped back again, still not sure if she could really dare to trust him.

But the worst thing was, he could even understand her. She had no reason to trust him with anything. He´d killed her parents and he´d tried to kill her. Just looking at her now, remembering this, made him want to cry. He knew he´d done unforgivable things in his life. So many unforgivable things. He knew he had barely deserved Mohinder´s forgiveness but with Molly it was even worse.

„Molly." he spoke, holding out his hand for her. „I know you hate me. I know you fear me. And I know that this will probably never change, but right now you have to trust me. We´ve got to get out of here. As soon as I know you are save, I will let you go wherever you want to go. I´ll bring you there myself if you want and then I´ll go and never pester you again. But first we need to get out of here."

Molly stared at his open hand, trying to make a decision. But then she didn´t even get a chance for that. All the sudden the door, that had been wide open when Sylar´d come here, swung shut and a loud bang echoed through the room. Sylar swirled around.

„No." he cried and tried to push it open. It was no use. The door was locked. Safely.

**...**

„Just one more turn and you´re there." Ashton´s voice instructed them.

Bennet gritted his teeth, urging himself to keep going. By now he felt as if he´d run the marathon. His heart was pounding like a forge hammer and his breath was thin as a lath. Much more of this body carrying – what was exactly what this was by now, because Shawn was barely conscious anymore – and he would faint from exhaustion.

Sandy had drained far too much from him in their last talk. If he survived this, he would need at least two weeks vacation, in which he would spend most of his time sleeping, he guessed.

Finally they reached the door, Ashton had led them to. Ahead they could see the guards, still aiming their guns at them. None of these guys that had followed them here, had even considered to give them a hand with Shawn.

„I will open the door now." Ashton told them. „And remember. If anyone comes out instead of you going in …" He didn´t need to finish the sentence. The sounds of the guards cocking their guns, was all they needed to know. „You would do good to remind your friends of that too." Ashton added.

A moment later the door before them beeped and swung open, inviting them to step in. Inside Noah saw his friend Carlton (among others) swirling around and drawing his gun … until he saw who it was.

„Noah." the detective cried. „What happened? What´s the matter with him?"

„Stay inside." Noah cried, blocking the door so they couldn´t come out. „There are a dozen guns trained on this door." he explained. „If one of you steps out, they´ll shoot."

Carlton, Suresh and the others stopped dead in their tracks, peeking out into the corridor as far as the angle allowed them to, carefully.

Noah and Lauren dragged Shawn inside and lay him on the couch. The door behind them got closed again, it´s lock beeping. Locked, yet again.

„What happened?" Suresh asked, eying Shawn with concern.

„Ashton allowed us to bring him here." Bennet explained, gazing at Sofia. „So she could heal him. We had no choice."

„Don´t mention it." Ashton´s voice came from the loudspeaker. „It was a pleasure to help."

Lassiter swirled around, fuming at the loudspeaker and would have probably shot it if Bennet hadn´t stopped him, with a calm hand on his arm.

"You have your guinea pig back." he spoke to Ashton. "I hope you´re happy."

"Who? Him?" Ashton replied with a snort. "Don´t get me wrong. It was a pleasure to … examine him. But he´s no more use as a guinea pig than a … a guinea pig. I don´t believe I thought those amplitudes I caught were a sign for an ability." He snorted again. "Simply brain waves of fear. I don´t beat myself up for not noticing that earlier. I´m not a brain surgeon. Well. It was fun as long as it lasted. And … he was good enough to get you guys here. So it´s a win-win for me in any way. Even if he dies now."

Lassiter went down on his haunches, subconsciously lying a protective hand on Shawn´s shoulder.

"But back to the point where you were thanking me." Ashton announced as if he was truly the biggest benefactor the world had ever seen. "I will do even more for you. Doctor."

Mohinder turned around, startled over the fact that he got addressed from all the people in this room.

„I will allow you to leave this cell." Ashton told him. „But only you."

Mohinder threw an uncertain glance at Bennet.

„Why that?" he asked Ashton.

„Because there´s a little girl running around this base and I´d like you to keep her from bringing harm to herself." Ashton answered. „Or others for that matter."

„You know, I won´t help you to catch her again." Mohinder stated.

„I don´t want you to help me but her." was all Ashton would reply. „But if you prefer it to stay where you are …"

„Go." Noah urged him. „Out there you can do something."

„He´s right." Lassiter agreed and a little quieter he added: „We take care of Spencer. You take care of that bastard." At his last words he pointed behind himself, at the loudspeaker under the ceiling.

„All right." Mohinder said at last, loudly. „I agree."

„Very good, doctor. My sincerest thanks. Now please step to the door. The guards will let you pass. Only you."

The geneticist followed the given instructions and went over to the door, which opened for him, just a moment later. He exchanged one last glance with his comrades, before stepping out into the hall.

**...**

„Please, turn right now." the voice of the man he´d known as Benny came over the loudspeaker.

Mohinder gritted his teeth.

„Why are you doing this?" he demanded to know. „I guess you´re not as general a servant than you claimed to be."

„You´re right, doctor, I´m not."

„Then who are you?"

„I´m the brain behind this operation." Benny said. Mohinder frowned. „I thought Hawk did …"

„Hawk is the Commander. Maybe. But I´m leading this whole experiment. My skills are various, so I won´t even try to list them for you. Let´s just say that Hawk knows exactly where he would be without my help."

„Then this role you played, was just a trick? To gain my trust?"

„I made the experience that people tend to work better, if they have a friendly face to address. It helps to communicate between them and the administration. But real friendly guards are not reliable, you see."

„So you took over that part." Mohinder finished the explanation.

„Right, once again, doctor. I admit though, that asset won´t work anymore now. But you and your friends just asked for it."

„What is it you want?" Mohinder demanded to know.

„I want you to turn right." was all he got for an answer.

The geneticist cursed in silence but took the turn, the way he was instructed. By now he knew that Benny – no Ashton, he reminded himself – had lied when he´d said he wanted him to find Molly for him. The way he navigated him through the corridors, indicated that he knew very well where she was.

„Why don´t you just tell me where she is?" he finally asked. „Stop this charade. What did you do to her? If you harmed her in any way …"

„She is unharmed." Ashton assured him. „So far. But I can´t guarantee that it will stay that way for much longer. So you better hurry. Turn left at the next corner. You´re almost there."

Mohinder could hear some strange sounds from ahead. Something was pounding. And then he realized what he heard there. Someone was trying to break open a door. He sped up.

He found the door in the next corridor. It was locked with a heavy and very solid looking bolt. Someone was throwing himself against the door on the other side, again and again.

„Molly?" Mohinder cried even though this person on the other side, was too big and heavy to be her. „Hallo?" he cried.

The attempts to break through stopped instantly at the sound of his voice. Now there was only silence. Hesitant. Listening. Just like Mohinder was listening, one hand lying on the cold steel of the door.

„Mohinder?" a startled voice asked.

„Sylar!" Mohinder´s hope rose again and then he heard Molly´s voice.

„Mohinder!" she cried, running for the door.

„Molly! Oh, thanks god. Are you all right?"

„She´s fine." Sylar answered the question for her. There was a faint chuckle on the other side of the door and then a hand hit against it. „We´re locked in here." Sylar told him.

„I know." Mohinder replied, regarding the bolt that held the door closed. „Just hang on a second."

„Mohinder, I´m so sorry." Molly cried on the other side.

„Don´t worry about that now, Molly." he called back to her, grabbing the bolt with both hands.

It was fast within its frame but that would not keep him from opening this damn door. The metal started to shriek under his grip and the more he pulled, the more it deformed. Slowly. But steady. It was a stubborn thing. But in the end it had to give up the fight. The bolts broke and the hinges snapped. A moment later he held the bolt in his hands. Sweat was standing on his forehead. But he´d made it. With a gesture of disgust he threw the deformed bolt to the ground.

It was in this moment, when his attention wasn´t on the door any longer, when he saw the guards with their guns trained on him. The same moment he remembered that Ashton was probably still there, watching his every move. Slowly he raised his hands.

The door got opened, quickly, revealing Sylar and Molly who were in the process of jumping out to him. When they saw his raised hands, they stopped dead in their tracks. Mohinder met Sylar´s gaze, only for a moment. The guards obviously had no instructions to shoot. But they were still here for a reason.

„I advice you to step inside peacefully." Ashton´s voice told them.

„If you only wanted us to be locked in, why did you send me here?" Mohinder demanded to know. „You already had me. You had us all."

„I´ll explain everything later." Ashton replied. „But for now, please, step in."

Mohinder slowly started to back up, never leaving the guards out of his sight. A hand touched his shoulder and Mohinder didn´t need to turn around, to know Sylar was glaring at the guards. It was exactly what he felt. But somehow this little gesture helped and reminded him, that they were not as outnumbered as Ashton might think they were.

One of the guards grabbed the door, throwing his shotgun at Mohinder just before he actually closed the cell. The geneticist flinched but managed it to catch the weapon. What the hell?

He met Sylar´s gaze and saw his own confusion mirrored there. Molly appeared by his side, immediately hugging him tightly, without even saying a word. Mohinder lay a hand around her but the gesture was merely instinctive. Right now all he could think about, was the purpose of this shotgun. Why should they give him a weapon?

„Very well." Ashton spoke up again, his voice now inside of the room. The three of them looked up, at the loudspeaker. Molly let go of Mohinder, staring up with hateful eyes.

„Now I will explain what I have in mind for you all." the disembodied voice announced. „Doctor. The gun you´re holding in your hand, has exactly one projectile inside. I want you to aim it at Sylar´s head … and pull the trigger."

„What?" Mohinder cried. Was this guy for real?

„You heard me." was the cold response. „Hawk wanted to study him but the latest events showed us, more than once, that the risk is not worth the gain. He simply is too much trouble. So if you don´t mind …"

„You must be out of your damn mind if you think I´d do that." Mohinder cried.

„I expected you to struggle." Ashton replied conversationally. „But don´t worry, I came prepared."

There was a strange sound coming from the other side of the room and when they turned around, they saw black smoke coming out of the ventilation.

„Your friend Sylar set a part of our bunker on fire." Ashton explained. „This is the result of it. In about two minutes or so, the whole room will be flooded with smoke … and you three will suffocate. Well … maybe two of you, because Sylar, as we all know, will get better again. But you and little Molly …"

„Why are you doing this?" Molly cried, fiercely. „I thought you were my friend. I trusted you."

„Get a grip, girl." Ashton replied. „Everybody lies. And I´m doing this because it´s the only way to get rid of this troublemaker Sylar. What´s the problem? You wanted him to die, didn´t you? You should thank me."

„I´m not doing this." Mohinder stated matter of factly. The smoke was filling the room very quickly, getting in his eyes and throat. „Stop that." he coughed, skipping back.

„Do it." Sylar demanded, unexpected, startling him into a new coughing fit.

„What?" he managed it to ask.

„He won´t stop it, unless you kill me." Sylar cried, coughing himself. „You´ll suffocate. You know he won´t stop. He´s not bluffing."

Mohinder just couldn´t believe it. „I will not kill you." he told him in a tone that could as well ask: are you nuts?

„You have to." Sylar insisted.

„Don´t you see?" the geneticist cried. „He only did this because he knew you wouldn´t fight me. He´s playing us."

„Of course, he´s playing us." Sylar replied. „But there´s no other way than to do what he wants. You two will die."

„If we die, then not through each others hands." Mohinder shouted, his hands clinging to the shotgun. „I will not let him use me for his dirty work." he stated matter of factly and turned to the loudspeaker. „If you want to kill us then do it yourself." he shouted.

"Already on it." Ashton replied.

„Mohinder, you have to think of Molly." Sylar coughed but the girl, once again, disagreed with him.

„No." she cried, making him curse inwardly. Couldn´t she just shut it for a change? He was trying to help, for god´s sake.

„He´s right." she coughed, clinging to Mohinder. „I was wrong. I almost got you killed, because I wanted …" she was coughing again but the tears on her face were not caused by the smoke.

Mohinder reached out for her, to hug her. But then a hand grabbed the shotgun and he swirled back around, immediately grabbing it tighter. He would not allow Sylar to take it out of his hands.

„What are you doing?" he demanded to know.

„What do you think?" Sylar cried and kept struggling for the gun.

„Stop that."

„I´ll not be the reason for your death, Mohinder." Sylar told him. "Not a third time."

„You´ll not come back, if I do what he wants."

„I know that."

Mohinder just couldn´t believe it. „Do you _want_ to die?" he cried.

„I want _you_ to live."

„That is not the point here."

„Mohinder, your strength will not save you from smoke poisoning."

„But it´ll keep you from playing into this bastards hands."

Mohinder ripped the shotgun out of Sylar´s hands, finally using the advantage he had over him.

„Molly, cover your ears." he ordered, before he pulled the trigger.

The shotgun roared in the empty room, sending it´s projectiles into the ceiling. Sylar stared at him in utter disbelieve.

„What are you doing?" he cried.

„No one dies in here through my hand." Mohinder told him and threw the now useless weapon to the ground.

„You are wrong, doctor." Ashton´s voice spoke up again, speaking with a disappointed sigh. The loudspeaker was invisible behind the thick smoke by now. „They all die because of you."


	23. Resolution

**Resolution**

Juliet was hurrying along the corridor, stooping. Harris had shown her where the cameras were, so they could pass them without getting caught. Ashton shouldn´t know that they were coming. At last they reached the place and the one door that separated them from their target. It was right ahead.

Juliet´s heart beat in anticipation. She could already hear his voice and this time it didn´t come from a loudspeaker. This time it was right there in that room.

„You´re wrong, doctor." she heard him say. „They all die because of you."

Juliet stopped right before the door and counted to three. Behind her, Harris seemed to do the same. Always the soldier, she thought, painfully reminded of her brother, who would have acted just the same if he´d been here. But she wasn´t here because of her brother. She was here because of Shawn. And all the others that were still in the hand of this bastard Ashton.

Juliet grabbed her gun a little tighter and then jumped around the corner, aiming into the room. What she saw was a whole wall of computers and screens, all of them showing different places all over this base. She could see corridors and rooms, some of them dressed like living rooms. On one of these screens, she could see a whole bunch of people, standing around a couch, but the screen was too far away to see their faces. On another screen she saw a bunch of soldiers with guns, standing before a door. The one screen, Ashton was most interested in, was halfway filled with black smoke. She could hear people coughing.

„Freeze." she called out and Ashton swirled around in his chair. „Don´t move." she ordered him. „Benjamin Ashton. You are under arrest for kidnapping and multiple murder, including the attempted assassination of a police detective."

The man before her stared at her with a confused frown, as if she´d talked in a foreign language. His eyes left her to look at something else.

„Commander."

Juliet´s eyes switched to her left, only long enough to get a brief look at Harris. He was not doing or saying anything, just stared at the man in the chair, in silence. Juliet felt somehow out of place all the sudden.

„Hands behind your back." she ordered Ashton but the man before her was not even listening to her. His attention was on Harris.

„Commander?" he addressed him again.

She heard a faint dry chuckle from Harris. „So now all the sudden you learned to use my rank." he said.

„I always knew your rank." Ashton told him. „I´m in the process of executing your orders."

„What orders?" Harris demanded to know. „All I see is that you´re sitting in my chair."

Ashton immediately stood up. Juliet straightened her gun. „Not one step." she warned him.

Still Ashton would not look at her longer than a second.

„I caught all the prisoners that escaped." he informed Harris. „Just look." He gazed at the monitor Juliet had noticed before. Now that she was closer to it, she could see that Carlton was one of the many people in that room. So were Bennet and Lauren. And …

„Shawn!"

For a moment she was so caught off guard, that she almost forgot to keep an eye on that potentially dangerous man before her. Ashton seemed to have noticed her moment of inattention. The gaze he threw her was hideous and it made her more than just uncomfortable.

„You´ll let them out of there now." she demanded.

Ashton just looked at her, estimating for a moment, before he faced Harris again.

„We can still cover it up, Commander." he told him. „We are back in control."

„You´re not in control." Juliet informed him and cocked her gun. When Ashton looked at Harris with this asking gaze of his again, she shouted at him: "Don´t look at him, dammit! I´m the one aiming a gun at you! Not him." She looked into those indifferent eyes of the man before her and felt herself shake with anger. „Do you have any idea who I am?" she asked him.

Ashton frowned confused. Now his attention was on her.

„I´m Juliet O´Hara." she told him. „You. Have kidnapped. A man named Shawn Spencer." she informed him as if he wouldn´t know this already. „You kidnapped him. And held him captive here. Against his will. You even tortured him as far as I know. You shot him." Ashton was still frowning, not quiet understanding where she was getting with that. „Do you have any idea who you kidnapped?" Juliet asked him, ready to give him the explanation he needed, to finally understand. „Who he is … to me? What he means to me?"

Now he did understand, she could see it in his eyes. But the fact that he now knew, also seemed to mean that she was dismissed again. He looked at Harris. But the Commander only looked back at him with two raised eyebrows.

„You heard her." he said.

„Commander." Ashton replied, trying to reason with his superior. „We can still cover this up." he repeated. „All the escapees are back in their cells. No one is out there anymore that could harm us or this project. Everything can stay just the same. We only need to cover some things up and everything will be the same again. With a few tiny changes but still."

Harris shook his head. „You´re wrong." he said with the heavy voice of an old man. „Amanda knows." he informed Ashton. „Nothing will ever be the same again."

For a moment Ashton seemed caught off guard by that information. His eyes dropped in realization. He obviously knew very well what this change meant for his superior. Juliet stood there, her gun in her hand and couldn´t help but felt as if she was put aside, watching a totally new thing that went on only between these two men. A standoff in which she had no part, that she hadn´t expected to happen and over which she had no control at all.

„We can still regain control over the project." Ashton said now. „You can regain control and still fulfill your mission." he spoke into Harris.

„You never understood this mission, Ashton." the Commander replied. „Who did you kill again in this room over there?" he asked, pointing at the smoke covered monitor. „Was it the doctor?"

„Sylar." Ashton answered and Juliet´s gaze jumped over to the screen. „The doctor was just collateral damage." he justified his actions. „But Sylar had to die, for the sake of this project. The guards only wait for my order to go in and shoot his head off."

He leaned back a little, his hand attempting to reach for a button on the panel. His eyes never left Harris.

„Don´t you dare to move." Juliet shouted, training her gun at him again.

Ashton looked at her but didn´t flinch at all. After a moment, he glanced at Harris again.

„Commander." he asked for his permission.

Juliet threw a side glance at Harris. She might be the one who was holding the gun here, but she also knew that he was the one, who would decide this situation. Whatever he would say next, would tip the scales.

The Commander just stood there, staring at Ashton. He was hesitating. So far. But Ashton´s gaze was intriguing.

„We can get back to work." he talked into his Commander. „You only need to say the word."

His eyes left Harris and jumped over to Juliet all the sudden. She flinched inwardly. What did he want? He looked at her as if he would expect something to happen any moment. But what? Juliet felt the urge to turn around and check her back but she just mustn´t let this man out of her sight. So she just stood there, holding his strange and irritating gaze and kept aiming her gun at him.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Harris looking around. If there was something behind her. But even though he didn´t show any reaction at all, she just knew that she´d been right with her guess. Something was there. And this something was at the ceiling.

Ashton´s hand moved closer to the button again and again Juliet cocked her gun. By now she didn´t know anymore how often she´d done that already, only to scare some sense into this man, using the pure threatening sound of it. A desperate attempt by now. But it worked. Ashton halted and his hand stayed where it was.

His eyes switched over to Harris again, asking him for his support. Slowly Juliet got nervous. A man like Harris would only hesitate for so long until he made a decision. And if that decision was not in her favor, then she would be totally screwed.

„Commander?" Ashton asked, once again. He was as tensed as Juliet.

She threw a glance at Harris, trying to decide something herself. If she should screw protocol and just shoot, or if she should wait just a little longer. Things definitely didn´t look too good for her. But if she would shoot now, she´d have to live with that for the rest of her life, always wondering what could have been.

Next to her Harris sighed heavily and shook his head. The gaze he gave her, was not encouraging.

„I´m sorry, detective." he said. „But it´s over. I´ve gone too far to go back now." And then everything happened far too quick for her to react in time.

**...**

Henry flattened himself against the wall. They´d found the place where Shawn and the others were held captive. He hadn´t seen any of them but he just knew it. What other reason would all these soldiers have, to stand around in that corridor, all of them guarding just one door. Henry peeked around the corner, counting five of them.

„Dammit." he cursed. „We´re outnumbered."

„Let me talk to them." Amanda said next to him, her voice astoundingly calm.

„Forget it." Henry hissed. „That´s not gonna happen."

But Amanda Harris looked at him with a calmness in her eyes that was overpowering, even in a place like this. Or maybe especially in a place like this.

„I know these men." she told him as if this would explain everything. „They´ll not hurt me. They´ll listen to me."

„Are you sure?" Henry felt for the first time, how alone he was down here and that this woman was his only backup.

Amanda didn´t say anything, she just nodded at him. When she saw that he wouldn´t try to step into her way, she just passed him and walked around to corner to meet those soldiers ahead.

The men immediately swirled around when they noticed the movement, aiming their guns at her. She didn´t even flinch. The reaction of the armed men, was much bigger than her´s.

They all gasped in shock, recognizing her. None of them had expected to see the wife of their Commander down here. Because she was not supposed to be here. She was not supposed to know that this place even existed.

„Hello, Corporal." Amanda greeted, almost nonchalantly. The addressed man flinched as if she´d shouted at him.

„Mrs. Harris." he stuttered. „How … How did you come down here?"

„I took the elevator." Amanda told him. The man looked down on her, at the dirt on her clothing, the oily cables in the shaft had left on her. „I came here to see what my husband is really doing, you know." she told the soldiers.

Henry felt as if he was watching a bunch of kids who got reproved by their mother.

„Ma´am." the Corporal started but Amanda talked right over him.

„Don´t you Ma´am me, Daniels." she said firmly. „I know everything. The police told me."

„The police?" Daniels repeated, noticing Henry for the first time. He made an attempt to raise his gun, but hesitated, looking at Amanda.

„They are upstairs." she informed him. „All over the mansion. No matter what you or my husband are doing, it´s over, Daniels. All of this is over. You should do yourself a favor and stop right now before anything worse happens."

The Corporal looked at Henry, and Henry looked right back at him, neither of them sure about what would happen next. Henry didn´t move. His hands were still clinging to his gun, ready to shoot if necessary. Just like the soldier. But it was evident that the man was faltering.

„You know me, Tony." Amanda said, making the man look her in the eyes. „You know, I´m telling the truth. If you and your men try to fight, these people will shoot you down. There´s no way out of this. So please … put that weapon away. And let me open this door."

„I have order to secure the door." Daniels said.

Amanda nodded. „And you did. But the fight is over, Corporal. Now think about your men and give me your gun."

Henry held his breath, hearing that. For a moment he saw Amanda Harris how she took the gun from that soldier only to turn it on him and the others and pulling the trigger, mowing them all down within a few seconds. Considering how angry she´d been with her husband and how calm she seemed now, he thought this was absolutely possible. Wouldn´t be the first time that a civilian lost it in a situation like that.

But in the end things went down pretty unspectacular. Daniels turned around to his men for a moment, as if to ask them for their opinion. No one said a word and when he turned back to Amanda, the decision was made. He took his gun and handed it to her. The rest of the men lay their weapons down to the ground.

Henry still expected Amanda to pull the trigger. But she didn´t. She only looked at the heavy thing in her hand, with a gaze that he could only describe as sadness, and then she nodded.

„Thank you." she said and finally her voice broke and she started crying.

Daniels stood before her, more uncomfortable than ever and she was just sobbing, her tears falling down on the gun in her hand. Henry hurried over to her and carefully took the gun out of her hands.

„It´s all right." he talked to her. „Just give it to me."

He faced the soldier before him and the man answered his gaze with a grim expression. Still Henry was sure that he wouldn´t try to attack him. Not anymore. He gave the man a nod to show him that they had an agreement.

„And now open that door for me." he demanded.

Another moment went by in which Daniels only looked at him. But after regarding the crying wife of his Commander one more time, he turned around silently to unlock the door.

**...**

Juliet felt hot and cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, looking into Harris eyes. Those were the eyes of a man that had decided to kill, she knew that gaze. She´d seen it more than just once in her life.

And indeed. When he moved again and raised his arm, he was holding a gun in his hand. She had no idea where he´d gotten it from. He sure as hell had had no gun when she´d entered this room. Maybe it had been hidden somewhere. This was his base after all. Now she really saw how less control she had over this situation. Now she would pay the price for this.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She saw him raising his arm and tried to swirl around, to aim at him instead of Ashton. To be faster than him. To at least try. But she wasn´t faster. He was.

The shot rang out before she´d even finished her turn. Juliet felt the shock running down her chest. But it was not she who´d been hit. Harris had never even aimed for her.

Juliet flinched and her arm swirled around to Ashton again, mostly out of pure shock. But Ashton was no threat anymore. Harris bullet had hit him pinpointed between the eyes. Juliet watched him drop to the ground and couldn´t believe what she saw.

She needed one more second to make her arms perform the movement once again, to aim at Harris.

„Drop the gun." she demanded, barely able to keep her voice even. „Now, or I´ll shoot you. You hear me?"

Harris only looked at her, far too calm for her taste and raised his hands. „That won´t be necessary, detective." he assured her, dropping the gun. „I just thought it would be good to stop him before he could activate the spring guns he´d aimed at you."

Finally Juliet found the bravery to turn around and look behind herself. And indeed. Right there over the door she´d had in her back, there was a spring gun under the ceiling, aiming right at her.

Juliet gulped, thinking of how close she´d been to become a tea strainer.

„Thanks." she brought out. „But I still have to cuff you."

Harris only nodded and offered her his wrists willingly. But before she even could think of getting her cuffs out, her eyes fell on the smoky screen again.

„Oh, my god." she gasped. „D … Dr. Suresh. He´s still in there. We need to get them out of there. Before they suffocate."

She rushed over to the panel but had no idea what to do with all these buttons and switches. „Can you exhaust the smoke from that room?" she asked Harris.

„I can do that." he answered her and started to push the respective buttons. „But considering how long they are already in there, you shouldn´t hope that they´re still alive, detective. I´m sorry but … I´ve seen how fast people can die in a fire that smokes like this. It only needs a few deep breaths."

„Just do it." she demanded, never leaving the screen out of her sight.

The smoke in that room was already retrieving, sucked off quickly by the ventilation, Harris had turned back on. Juliet´s hands were digging into the panel while she watched and waited, hoping to see people that were still alive as soon as the smoke would clear.

„Come on." she urged. „Your men are outside of that room, aren´t they?" she remembered. „Send them in there. Tell them not to shoot but to help."

„I don´t think that will be necessary." Harris said. „There´s no one in this room that would need help."

„You can´t know that." Juliet cried, staring at him scandalized. „Maybe they´re just unconscious. You can´t know if they´re …"

But then she saw what he meant, that he was not talking about giving up on those people, that he was merely stating facts. The smoke had cleared by now and she could see that he was right. There was truly no one in that room that would need help. No one was in that room at all. The door was still closed and the walls were undamaged but still … the room was empty.

**...**

Several hours after the base had been busted, Shawn was staring at the computer screens before him, watching the Company agents walking through the corridors and cells of this place, to see if they would find anyone else who might be hiding or lying somewhere, injured and unable to help himself. The base had been swept from top till bottom and Harris and his men had been taken into custody.

Shawn sighed. His arm was still around Juliet´s waist, just like it had been for the last two hours. He seemed unable to let go of her, afraid that if he would, he would wake up from this dream and find that he was still in his cell, waiting for Hawk and his men to get him out again, for a new test series. But at least he wasn´t the only one who seemed unable to let go. Gus was still clinging his hand into his shoulder, nails digging, also for what seemed like hours.

When he´d come down here at last, after Lassie had given the all clear, he´d hugged Shawn almost tighter than Jules had done it, if that was even possible. Shawn had padded his friend´s back, had assured him that he was all right – of course he was, Sofia had healed every scratch he´d had, so how could he not be all right? – but Gus had still cried like a baby, unable to help himself or to stop himself from apologizing over and over again. For what exactly Shawn didn´t even know. But in moments like this, his friend was not always being logical.

If Shawn would be honest, he felt like hugging the whole world right now, to thank each and every one of these Company agents for coming here and getting him out of this nightmare. He´d started with his dad and Jules and Gus. But if he´d be honest, he would admit that he was still shaking, that he was still doubting that all this was real and that it was really over. For good.

But he wasn´t honest, so he kept clinging to Jules´ waist, to keep his hands from shaking too hard, and smiled, reassuringly. Assuring himself that this was real and not a dream. The waist he held was proof of that.

They´d taken twenty-three soldiers into custody, including Hawk himself. The body count on this base came up to a record of eighteen, including Benny or Ashton or whatever his name really was.

And they´d freed four prisoners that had been held hostage in here, including himself. The other prisoners were gone and not to be found anywhere on this base, including Sandy Morrigan, Molly Walker, Mohinder Suresh and Sylar. So far the agents were still looking for them but something told Shawn, that they wouldn´t find them here. They were just … gone.

„What do you think happened to them?" Jules asked next to him, as if she´d read his thoughts. And who knew. Maybe she had.

„Dunno." he said with a shrug. „Sandy … she probably got away during the fights." he guessed. „She had the power to make it. Sylar and Suresh though …" he could only shake his head.

„We´ll maybe never know." Gus agreed with him. „Maybe they´re just … gone."

„This is impossible." Juliet argued. „They have to be somewhere."

„You said you never saw what happened in that room, before the smoke was gone." Gus recalled. „Maybe the soldiers went in while you couldn´t see and dragged them out, killed them and let their bodies vanish in a …"

„Gus." Juliet cried shocked.

Shawn stared at his friend in shock too. But other than Jules, he wasn´t shocked about the outrageous theory, Gus had come up with. He was more shocked about the possibility, that he might be right. After all this time down here, Shawn believed that these people would actually do something like that. Dear god, was it possible that Gus was actually right? Had they really done that?

A faint ringing tone sounded somewhere in the room, interrupting his thoughts. Something about that tone was familiar but he couldn´t quiet place it. Next to him, Gus frowned and looked around. And all the sudden Shawn knew where he´d heard that ring tone before. It was his own cell phone he heard there.

Gus opened a drawer in a sideboard, searching in it for a moment. He found Shawn´s cell phone among a bunch of other things. Watches, bracelets, other cells, purses. Probably all the things, Hawk and his men had taken from their prisoners, when they´d brought them here. Gus looked at the display of the cell phone.

„Unknown number." he said.

Shawn took the phone, answering it. „Yeah?" he said, unsure what to expect. He heard low beeping tone that told him his battery was almost empty.

„Shawn." a totally unexpected voice cried into his ear. „Oh, thank god, I didn´t know what other number to call. Are you all right? What happened?"

For a moment Shawn was just stunned. He looked at Gus and Jules, who were waiting for him to say something, to tell them who was on the other end.

„Yes." he managed it to bring out. „Yes, I´m all right. We´re all … fine. But listen. I was about to ask you the same question."

By now Jules and Gus knew who he was talking to.

„We´re fine." Sylar told him. „We had to bring Molly to a doctor though. She´s still unconscious but … Dr. Bernstein says, she´ll be fine. She´ll be fine."

„How did you get out?" Shawn wanted to know.

When Sylar spoke again, he could hear a faint smile in his voice. „It was Frank Wieland, who saved our butts." he said.

The cell phone in Shawn´s hand beeped a few times in a row. His battery was almost done.

„I´m glad you guys are okay." he said, trying to think of something more he could say. „W … Where are you now?" was all he could think of.

Sylar was in the process of answering, but the line went down and all Shawn could still hear, was a brief impression of Sylar´s voice. A moment later the line was dead.

**...**

On the other end of the world, Sylar had a white noise in his ear, telling him that the connection was disturbed. It had been there since he´d reached the fake psychic, coming and going, but now it seemed to be final.

„Shawn?" he asked but he got no answer.

With a sigh he lowered his hand and put the phone back into the cradle. At least he knew that they´d made it. If anyone would have been hurt, Shawn would have told him. And vice versa, _they_ now knew that they´d made it as well. Little Sofia would not have to worry about her friend Molly. At least not too much.

Regarding the man who stood on the end of the corridor, looking into Molly´s hospital room, Sylar regretted it that he hadn´t had a chance to copy Sofia´s ability while he´d been in there. It would make the situation so much easier. For all of them. And it would make him less afraid that something like that, what had brought them there in the first place, might happen again one day.

He sighed and finally made his feet move again, walking over to stand by Mohinder´s side. The other man only looked at him briefly. His attention just wouldn´t drift away from the girl in the sickbed for long.

„She´s strong." he said, probably more to convince himself than Sylar. Still Sylar nodded in agreement. He regarded Mohinder with an estimating glance.

„You want to stay here all night?" he asked him.

„Yes." was the immediate answer, disregarding the tiredness that was evident in Mohinder´s voice.

Sylar only nodded.

„Well." he said, padding his friend´s shoulder, letting his hand rest there for a second. „I´ll go and get us a coffee then."

**End of Volume Five**

**...**

**Volume Six**

– „**Time For A Hero" –**

"It´s been six weeks now." Lassiter summarized his statement that he´d given so far, mostly speaking to his own folded hands. "No one questions anymore if I was really dead or not. I mean … apparent death is as good as an explanation for everybody as something supernatural after all. And let´s be honest, who really wants to believe that the head detective of the Santa Barbara police came back from the dead? Right."

He looked up for a second and saw that he was not questioned in this regard. Even Spencer nodded in agreement.

"So …" he shrugged. "I ran with that … and I´m doing good."

"All right, detective." the therapist nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you. That was enlightening. Just one more question. When you say you´re doing good … do you also mean, you feel good? That´s a difference after all. And a big one. Dying is not an easy experience."

"You can say that twice." Spencer blurred out and chuckled humorlessly.

The therapist turned to him, making him flinch as if he expected a rebuke for speaking without permission. Lassiter smirked a little in anticipation.

"Mr. Spencer." the therapist said. „You died at least … five times by now." she read off her file. „So maybe it is about time that you share your experience as well."

Spencer just blew some air out of his mouth and shrugged.

"You think you don´t have anything to say?" the psychologist asked patiently. „But your colleagues had quiet a lot to say and they only died once."

"Actually …" Bennet spoke up, raising his finger like in school. "It was twice in my case. The first one has been a while ago but … it wasn´t nice back then either."

"What was that?" Lassiter wanted to know, not able to help his curiosity.

"I was shot." Noah answered. "In the eye."

Lassiter made a face of sympathetic pain and so did Shawn. Noah nodded.

"I was saved by an infusion of my daughter´s blood." he explained. "I don´t know if you ever had to heal an eye on command but … it´s not as easy as it sounds, believe me."

He´d spoken with a smile and Lassiter couldn´t help but chuckled when he met his gaze. So did Spencer and even the therapist smiled at this admittedly idiotic comment, nodding with approval.

"But that shows us that one can learn to live with a memory like this." she said. "To do so, you only have to integrate the memory of being dead into your system and accept that it is a part of your past experience. Don´t deny that this has happened, but accept it as something that was real … and character building."

Shawn only looked at her and didn´t say anything. He sat on his chair like a pouting child and Lassiter had to keep himself from shouting at him to take on some posture, when an adult was talking to him.

This woman was right. Spencer had died a lot more often than he or Noah had and he knew how put on this idiot could be. Admitting that something had really hit him in his insides was something hard. Lassiter knew that.

He´d had a hard time opening up when he´d been in therapy for the first time too. But the Company had suggested that they should hold this sessions together, all three of them, and so they were here now. Trying to get a grip on those nearer than near death experiences, they all had in common.

Spencer was still sitting in his chair and gave no answer to the psychologist. Eventually the young woman lowered her eyes. "All right then." she said, giving up. "I guess that´s enough for today. Thanks to you all. I see you on Thursday."

With that they were dismissed and as if he´d known what would happen, Spencer was the first one who left the room in a pathetic runaway. But this time Lassiter was faster. He grabbed the fake psychic, holding him back.

"What the hell is your problem, Spencer?" he hissed at him. „She´s doing her best and you treat her like a stubborn kid. Grow up, for gods sake and stop acting like a hyperactive idiot. We all have to deal with what happened."

For a moment Shawn looked at him stunned, as if Lassiter had actually gotten through to him with his words.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

"I said she´s doing her best and you …"

"No. Before that."

Lassiter frowned. "I said, stop acting like a hyperactive idiot. Because that´s what you are, Spencer."

Shawn took a step back, shocked. But the expression vanished, as quickly as it had come and his usual smart-ass expression was back on. He lay his hands together as if for a prayer.

"You´re right, Lassie." he said. "You´re absolutely right, that was rude of me. I´ll send her a bucket of flowers and a fresh pineapple and an apology. Just … not right now. Because to be honest, I have something to do. Something really important if I´m not mistaken. So if you´ll excuse me …"

"What the hell is it, that you have to do, that can´t wait?" Lassiter barked after him but the fake psychic was already gone. "Spencer!"

"Let him be." Noah said beside him. "He´ll need some time but … he´ll come around."

"He´s an idiot." Carlton growled and Noah chuckled. He held his cell phone in his hand, checking the calls he´d missed. He frowned. Before Lassiter could ask him what it was, he´d pressed the dial-back key and held the phone to his ear.

"Ando." he said after a few rings. "You tried to call me, what is it?"

Lassiter watched his friend, listening to the man on the other end. Again Noah frowned.

"Hiro?" he asked. "Since when? … What h … aha." Lassiter watched the Company man listen for a while, growing more and more impatient, while Noah seemed to grow more and more confused.

"Did you try to call Matt?" he asked. "All right, all right, calm down, I know you´re not. What about the L.A.P.D.?" he then asked. He frowned when he heard the answer. "Really." he said. By now his face wasn´t confused anymore but downright concerned. He listened a little longer to what the man on the other end had to say.

"I understand." he said at last. "Don´t worry, I´ll have a look at it." he nodded at the response and finished with a brief: "I call you back."

"What´s the matter?" Lassiter demanded to know.

"Seems two old friends of mine have gone missing." Noah told him with a sigh. "Hiro Nakamura … and Matt Parkman."

"Nakamura." Lassiter repeated. "The time traveler?"

Noah nodded.

"You said something about the L.A.P.D." Lassiter recalled.

"Matt´s a police detective in Los Angeles. Ando says he called them. Matt hasn´t shown up for work."

"If he´s a police detective, I can help you investigate this." Lassiter offered.

Noah nodded. "Yeah, that would be helpful." he said, speaking with a concern, Carlton had barely seen on this man. It was almost disturbing to see him like that. Carlton even found himself raising a hand to pad his back.

"Let´s go to the station and have a look at it." he said as determined as he could and Noah nodded in agreement, following him outside. He still seemed to be in deep thought.

Outside, before he got into his car, Lassiter could see Spencer on the other side of the street, sitting on his motorcycle, playing with his cell phone. He too had a deep frown on his forehead.

For a moment Lassiter was about to call over to the fake psychic, but then he decided against it. If it was necessary to tell him about the phone call, Noah had just received, this would happen soon enough anyway. Now all he wanted, was to get to the station and see what he could do, to help Noah with this new case they got. So he got in the car and drove off.

Their departure was watched by an unusually serious Shawn. He had the strange feeling that something really bad was about to happen. And that they would be right in the middle of it. He had no idea what this might be, but one thing he knew for sure. Someone wanted them to be a part of it. And that it would happen very soon.

He looked down on his cell phone again, on the text message he´d received. There was a lot of heavy stuff in that message but right in this moment, the most important thing about it, was the last line. It was simple but frightening in its own way.

"Time´s almost up. Be prepared. – IMU"

Shawn looked after Lassie´s car and sighed. He didn´t feel prepared. Not at all.

_To be continued …_


	24. Author's Note

**Author´s Note**

And here we are again. We did it again. Isn´t that amazing? I don´t think I´ve ever worked on a project like that for so long. One that started off as a just-this-one-and-that´s-it-story and then developed into something so much bigger. I think I stated once already, that I had no idea what I got myself into, when I started it, but I guess by now I have a pretty good idea. And since you´re still with me in this insanity, I guess you know it too. Am I right?

Well, back to the story. Harris Heroes. The title is obviously a reference to Hogan´s Heroes, even though the story itself has nothing to do with it. I just like to have the word Hero in the title if possible, just for the sake of it. Or I want to use a well known phrase from one of the two shows that I crossed here. Even better if the title doesn´t give away anything that´ll happen over the course of the story. I think so far I managed that pretty well.

So how did the plot idea start? To be honest, I wanted to serve the needs of those who love to see Shawn Spencer suffer in any possible way, the so called whump lovers among you. So I thought about a way to get him into something like a hostage or kidnap situation. But of course it had to be something Heroes related and so Harris came to life. A guy that knew about the Specials and their abilities, someone that had bigger interest in that phenomenon.

I used the plots from earlier stories to create a connection, and something that made him part of this universe, so it wouldn´t feel as if he came from out of nowhere. So he became the guy that executed Frederic Roth´s orders to kill people with abilities, while he was still controlling the Company in the second story.

But his connection to Roth was not just pure necessity, I also wanted to get back to what happened to Roth after the story was over. Because I knew, the guy was not quiet dead, and I wondered, what could happen? Could he maybe even find a way to get back out of his catatonic state? With his power, not unlikely. I even played with the idea of him playing a bigger part in this story, maybe in a way of contacting Shawn telepathically or something like that. But it turned out differently.

Many things turned out differently than I initially planned them.

One of the best examples for that is what happened to Mohinder and Sylar. Initially I wanted them to somehow learn about the fact that Shawn was in danger, and decide that they would go there to help. But how should they even know what was going on? They were in Switzerland and Shawn was kidnapped in Santa Barbara.

That was where I experimented with Roth somehow sending a mental message to Shawn and over him even to Sylar (?) I have no idea if that would have worked, but in the end I decided to do it differently. Just let Harris send his men to them, with the order to catch them. Mohinder for his knowledge and Sylar for his powers. Two birds with one stone.

Sidenote about the place where I put these two at the beginning of the story. For a change, I wanted them to start off in a place where they were actually getting along. Kind off a happy place. As I said, for a change. Before all this would come down on them once again. I hope I managed to sell it convincingly, that these two had managed it to be actual friends, despite their past. I don´t know how believable it was for you readers. I just hope it didn´t feel wrong. For me this possibility is still there.

Back to the plot. Initially I expected them to get caught together, locked up by Hawk and his men. They would have known that they had to think of a way to get out again, working together to accomplish that somehow, under the always watchful eyes of Hawk´s men. But it didn´t happen like that. As I said, things happened that I didn´t plan. And in this case it was the fact that their car exploded in the ambush and Mohinder got killed.

I really didn´t expect that to happen and I tried everything I could, to let the scene end with him being injured but not dead. But I couldn´t. Because they were in a hurry and it just wouldn´t have made sense, if they´d taken the time to put on their seat belts before racing away. And so the explosion hit them unprepared and without a seat belt, there was no way for him to survive that accident.

To all of you out there, learn a lesson from that. Always wear your seat belt, it can save your lives.

So Mohinder died and Sylar … well Sylar mourned. His friend was dead and I found, that it was an interesting place for him to be. After he´d been happy for a while, he got thrown down a dark pit, where all he´d left was his grief and his hate. And I wanted to explore that. So I let Hawk and the others forget to mention that Mohinder was still alive, so Sylar wouldn´t know. Just to see where I could go with that.

Apropos Mohinder being back to life. That brings me to another character that came to life out of necessity. Because I knew I couldn´t save Mohinder from getting killed, I changed course and thought of a way to bring him back to life. And the best and easiest way to do so, was by a Special that could heal. Sofia Romanova (her last name was supposed to be a reference to the Romanow family, the family of the famous Russian princess Anastasia) She came to life because other people had to come back to life.

Her character was inspired by a character from an old Star Trek episode. Jewel, a mute woman that could heal peoples wounds by taking their pain. I loved the idea of her not being able to talk but to feel everything the other person felt, so I gave Sofia the same characteristics.

The decision to bring Molly in, is something I can´t explain anymore. I think I needed something to motivate Mohinder and using Sofia as a Molly ripoff, just seemed mean and unfair. So I decided not to copy what made him care for Molly but to take the real Molly instead. A more grown up version of her. Sixteen years old, and serious like a much older person, because of the younger girl she´d started to care about.

And as soon as I brought her in, I knew on some part of the story, things would have to come together for a big explosion. Because Sylar killed her parents when she was still a kid and Mohinder had been like a father for her. Of course that would make a lot of things very hard to explain toward the end. But let´s get back to that later.

Micah Sanders. Again a character that I brought in out of necessity. I thought back and forth if I should leave him out of it. Because he´s a technopath and I figured with him being there, it would be too easy for them to break out. And of course I didn´t want this to happen, not too early at least.

But then I looked at how neatly Hawk had isolated all of his prisoners, to keep them from any escape attempts and I thought: Wow. They really can´t do anything that way. He´s just too paranoid to let them communicate with each other. So I decided to at least give them a chance by bringing Micah in after all.

Of course they would make sure he can´t do anything to use his power against them, but somehow he would find a way to get out eventually. He´s Rebel after all.

His uncle Joe came (and please don´t laugh) out of a dream I had. Yes. I have no idea where that dream came from, but one night I dreamed that Micah had an uncle we´d never heard off. In my dream he was not a nice guy, more of a criminal that wanted something from his nephew. I´m the kind of person who likes to use things like that, so I worked it into the story, as best as I could. But I changed the character to a more likable person, gruff and unapproachable, but good-natured behind his facade.

His power was a decision of my own. You know that usual question: If you could chose a power, what would it be? Joe´s power would be mine. Being able to speak any language you want, just by instinct. Wouldn´t that be something?

Let´s quickly talk about the last Special that got imprisoned by Hawk. Sandy Morrigan. She was from top to bottom based on a friend of mine. Sandy. What else? I won´t tell you her real last name of course. But if you would meet her, you would see Sandy Morrigan. Her face, her hair, her eyes, even the way she talked and moved, was all Sandy. The Psych writers do that all the time, naming characters after their friends and relatives, and this time I did it too.

I didn´t intent to let her take over that character so much, but Sandy is a very strong personality and she just refused to be described only halfway. It was as if she´d said: If I play that role, I play it completely. And she did. Sandy doesn´t drain energy from other people, but in real life she doesn´t need to. Her punch is so hard, I used to call her Alien. After that tongue of the Aliens, if you know the movie. It´s really almost like that. (btw: She didn´t punch me, just in case you thought that. We used to go to a self defense class together, that´s how I know what her punch feels like.)

Well, that was it for the prisoners. Let´s move on to the other characters. I just noticed that there were quiet a lot of them in this story, weren´t there? But whatever. Can´t change it now. So let´s not lose our motivation. Here we go.

Ashton. The guy was really some piece of work. I wanted him to be like a literal Nazi. Methodical and totally ruthless. A doctor Mengele, if you want to. Only interested in the results of his experiments and totally uncaring about the human beings he used for it. The same time I got inspired by Stephen King´s Firestarter, where Rainbird played the nice guy to make Charlie trust him, while for real he was the one who wanted to kill her. But being the writer that I am, I couldn´t let you guys know Ashton´s little game, right from the start.

I worked in some small giveaways from time to time, and to be honest, I thought someone would figure it out sooner. The fact that no one did (or at least no one claimed to have figured it out) seems to be a good example for the power of distraction. I guess there was just so much stuff going on, that no one payed attention to the details. Like the fact that Benny always showed up, just in time to distract Sylar, so the guards could overpower him. Or that he showed up to keep Molly and Micah from getting out, right after Ashton ran past Hawk out into the garden. And if you reread Hawk´s thoughts about Benny, respectively Ashton, you might notice some things too.

I got commended a few times about how I give my bad guys good reasons for what they do. In Hawk´s case I went the easy way, I admit that. To let it be some sort of holy mission he believed in, was not the most original thing, but I figured it could work. His family, on the other hand was something I took great care of.

This is a writing trick I learned from years of watching "24". Because that´s what makes the show so good. No matter what all these terrorists on the show are doing, no matter how messed up their motives are, on some point of the show, we get to see them from their human side. They always have a family that they care about, a wife and kids, or someone else they love. Something that makes us feel for them at least to a certain point. Something that makes us see, that they are no monsters but humans like we are.

That´s why I gave Hawk a wife he loved deeply and a son, that was disabled but still everything to him. A human anchor for this character, that had lost himself in a very destructive mission.

In the end it sold out by letting Amy be the one that convinced him (and his men) to turn back, just in time for him to make up for what he´d done. Her reaction to his deeds was like a wake-up call, one that he couldn´t ignore anymore. But it also showed him that he´d burned all the bridges behind him, and that there was no going back for him. I guess that´s why he shot Ashton.

Again something I didn´t foresee until it happened. I was indecisive about what would happen to all of them in the end, just like I always am. I always delay that decision until I´m there, so it could have been that they all got arrested or that they all would end up dead. In this case, Ashton ended up dead, and Hawk took responsibility for his actions, knowing that he just added murder to his list. But the way I see it, Juliet will state in court that Hawk killed Ashton to save her, and that his actions in the end, will reduce his sentence, at least a bit. He´ll still go to prison though. And if you wonder what will become of him and his wife, I can only say, I don´t know. I think, if she can ever forgive him, she´ll need a long time to do so.

I just noticed this Author´s note is at risk to get out of hand, so I try to finish quickly. Just a few more words about some parts I liked more than others. About Lassiter being killed for example. I knew on some point of the story, someone would get killed in their try to find Shawn. Because Lassiter and Bennet would investigate on their own, after the police didn´t allow them to go after Harris anymore (at least the two of them, if not the whole gang) Again. That´s what I expected to happen in the beginning. It turned out a little different, but my initial guess was right (for a change) Someone did get killed. Lassiter.

Of course I had to bring him back, somehow, that´s the reason why Sofia had to escape. I think I never wrote a story in which I killed so many people like I did in this one. And the funny thing is, almost no one stayed dead in the end. Was that too much? I hope not. Because it was too much fun to do it. But don´t worry. I won´t make a habit out of it.

I also liked the little detail about Juliet imitating Shawn´s gesture of the raised hand, while she tries to think very hard about a way to find him. Or the fact that Lassiter tried to convince the chief, to let them investigate Harris´ mansion, by telling her, Shawn had had a vision. A lot of reversed roles in this story, even if it happens just for a moment each time.

About Shawn, I know, I lost track of him for a while over the course of the story and I know some of you were disappointed that I didn´t explore the possibility of him having an ability. I can only apologize for that. But the things Ashton saw, were truly just meant to keep him interested in him.

I don´t say that there might not be something behind it. I got a few interesting ideas considering that, by courtesy of a good friend of mine, who did actual research on the subject. I don´t say anything at this point, but I can say that I found her theories quiet interesting. So … just keep reading. Maybe one day.

And here we are again. Just as I said. Another story in this seemingly endless game of writing on and on. And to be honest, I don´t think that I´m done yet. Not by a long shot. As you saw, there´s already a new one on the way. Something that I´d like to call … quiet special.

Stay with me and you´ll see what I mean.

* * *

**Thanks for staying with me that long. And for all the great reviews I got. See you soon … **


End file.
